You and Me: Meant to be?
by SpectacularCombustion
Summary: My take on the relationship between CM Punk and AJ Lee. Based off the real-life happenings and sightings of the two of them in public. (FIRST STORY) - Non Regular Updates
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

Hey there, SpectacularCombustion here. Just wanna let you guys know that this is my very first story ever on fanfiction and I hope you guys like it.

Try not to be too harsh on me, especially for my spelling and grammar. Yes, I'm looking at you, grammar nazis out there. In any case, I'd really appreciate a review on this, took me a whole day to write the first chapter but it was fun and there'll definitely be more!

For now, non-regular updates since my exams are coming up but after that, I'm all yours! :D

-SC

* * *

**_November 2012_**

CM Punk, or rather Phil Brooks, was a man who kept to himself a lot. He was not the most popular guy around backstage, especially around WWE officials, and he would probably be the first one in line to admit that. He was the type of guy who would make you feel as if you were his best friend in the world if you were close to him but if not, he would give you vibes that he just plain hated you. That's CM Punk for you, he either hates you or loves you. The truth of the matter is that more likely than not he does hate you. Nevertheless, he still was well-respected by his peers, especially the younger ones whom he continuously stands up for. Sure his attitude may rub people the wrong way, fans and co-workers alike can probably attest to that, but he does not give a single damn about what others think of him. It is probably why he's seen only hanging out with his small circle of friends or just on his own. It is the reason why he is currently sitting at a table located at the back of the hotel's restaurant in England all by himself.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Mr. Best in the World himself," a chirpy voice broke the trail of deep thoughts of the WWE champion.

"Heh, well good morning to you too, Miss crazy-chick-turned-general-manager," Punk replied as he looked up to see the face of the resident crazy chick, AJ Lee. She was decked out in her usual Chuck Taylor's and skinny jeans with a "Live the Revolution" hoodie covering a Batman top.

"You mean ex-general manager," AJ corrected, alluding to the fact that she "stepped down" from managing RAW a couple of weeks ago.

"Ah, how could I forget?" Punk chuckled, "Now there's one less person out to get me." This earned him a playful slap to his shoulder.

"So anyways, is this seat taken?" AJ asked, gesturing with the same hand that had just slapped Punk towards the empty seat across of him.

"Nope, but I would've thought you'd rather eat breakfast with the other divas over there," Punk said, nodding his head towards the group of divas eating at the front of the restaurant which consisted of the Bellas, the Funkadactyls and Natalya.

"Nah, they're no fun. They'll probably talk about stuff like shopping and shoes and clothes and yada yada yada. You know, the usual girly things. Plus, how could I just ignore my Punkybear?" AJ giggled as she sat down, teasing Punk with the nickname she had come up with for him a couple of months ago.

"Ugh, you still remember that? I've always wondered how you came up with that you know," Punk asked, taking another bite of his chocolate cupcake.

"Well, Punky is pretty self-explanatory and bear is from that night in your hotel room, remember?" AJ reminded him, bringing his thoughts back to that fateful night.

* * *

_***Flashback***_

Punk was lying down on the bed while reading one of his favourite Batman comics when all of a sudden, multiple knocks in a hurried rhythm greeted the door of his hotel room.

"Woah, woah, chill dude! Are you trying to break the door down?!" Punk shouted as he put his comic book down and leapt off the bed, walking hastily to the door.

"Hey! I said cool it with the-" Punk stopped abruptly after he opened the door, only to be greeted with the sight of AJ with tears streaming down her face and a rolling suitcase in her left hand.

"April? What's wrong?" Punk asked in concern as he quickly let her inside and locked the door.

"T-T-Trent, h-he was," AJ started, unable to control her emotions and stumbling over her words.

"Hey, hey. Come on now, stop crying, ok? I'm here now, there's nothing to worry about. Shhh," Punk said as he brought his arms around her and held her tight, allowing her to ball her eyes out on his "Ramones" T-shirt.

They stayed in that embrace for a couple of minutes, with Punk occasionally stroking the back of her head gently and whispering sweet nothings in an attempt to calm her down. Slowly, AJ managed to regain her composure and soon, she stopped crying. She pulled away slightly, not enough to totally get out of his embrace but just enough to look up to him.

"Thank you, err..." AJ said in a low voice, rubbing the part of his shirt which she cried on and left a distinct stain, "Sorry about... This..."

"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about, ok? I can always get this shirt cleaned," Punk smirked at her, hoping to at least get half a smile out of her, "Now, if you don't mind me asking, what did Trent do?"

"He... He... He cheated on me," AJ forced out slowly, grimacing at the thought of Trent again.

"What? How? When?" Punk blurted out in disbelief. Realizing this was a serious situation, he let go of his embrace and guided her to the front the bed where they eventually sat on the edge.

"I don't know how long exactly its been going on... I-I answered a call on his phone while he was in the bathroom and a w-woman's voice came through. She instantly asked for G-G-Greg," AJ stuttered, especially when she tried to mention Trent's birth name. She took in a long, deep breath, trying to fight back the tears that were starting to form again and wanting to continue from where she left off.

"April, you don't have to do this. I get it," Punk tried to reason with her when he noticed there was a possibility that she might break down and cry again.

"No! I have to get everything off my chest. I need someone to know what I'm feeling right now. I need you, please," AJ begged, hoping Punk would understand where she was coming from. In reply, Punk merely nodded his head and rubbed her back with his hand assuringly in an attempt to comfort her.

"So when i asked her who's calling, she casually replied 'his girlfriend'. It absolutely broke my heart and what's worse was that when Trent finally got his ass out of the bathroom, he didn't dare to look me in the eyes when I asked about his 'other girlfriend'," AJ sighed in exasperation.

Never once did she envision herself being cheated on by Trent. He was always sweet and caring towards her and she really thought their 2-year long relationship could have eventually seen both of them walking down the aisle. But she was wrong. Dead wrong. Seeing her so distraught was killing Punk on the inside. She was one of the few people he would confidently call a close friend. He was one of the first people to take her under his wing and show her the ropes after her stint in NXT. He even encouraged her to pursue a relationship with one of the guys if she ever felt lonely while on the road. Although he had done no wrong, he still felt slightly guilty that his advice had caused AJ so much pain in the end. Punk placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her head slightly so their eyes could meet.

"I'm so sorry, April. If it means anything, I think Trent was stupid to think he could find someone better than you. I know this may sound cliche but trust me when I say this, I mean it with all my heart. You're an amazing girl and any guy would be lucky to have you. I guess you just gotta find the right guy for you, that's all," Punk smiled warily.

AJ returned with half a smile but it still was a better sight than that of her crying. "Thanks, but I think I'm done with guys for now. I'm just gonna focus on my career and that's it. You're looking at the new all-business AJ!" AJ proudly said, placing her hands on her hips.

"That's more like it. You'll get through this, I promise, and I'll be here anytime you need me, alright?" Punk wrapped his right arm around AJ's shoulders and brought her close.

"Umm yeah... That time could be right now 'cause I don't really have a place to stay," AJ said, breaking their slight embrace. She then rubbed the back of her head shyly, hoping he would not reject her indirect plea to stay with him for the night.

"Say no more. The bed is all yours," Punk smiled gleefully as he got up from the bed and went to the nearby cabinet. He opened one of the drawers at the bottom to retrieve a white blanket and headed to the couch nearby.

"What?! No! I can't possibly take the bed. This is your room. I can sleep on the couch, I'm small enough anyways," AJ said, getting up off the bed as well.

"Nope, like you said, this is my room. So... My room, my rules and rule number 1 is to always listen to Punk so sit your ass back down on the bed... before I kick you out," Punk joked, adding the last part in to force her to sleep on the bed.

"Ok, ok! Don't kick me out your highness," AJ giggled, conceding defeat. Seeing AJ laugh reminded Punk why he liked having AJ as a friend so much. He liked the fact that her infectious laughter could instantly light a room up, no matter how dull and dreary it was before. Plus, it was much better than having her sulk and cry.

Later that night, AJ was struggling to sleep. She could barely keep her eyes shut for more than five seconds before her eyelids opened again. Her break from Trent was obviously still too fresh for her to totally forget about and each time her mind thought about him, a tear would fall from her eyes. Punk, unsurprisingly because of his insomnia, was still wide awake as well. He could hear her light sniffling and groaning each time after she cried softly on the bed. He couldn't bear to see and now hear her like this. He made his way to the bed, lying down beside her. He turned her body to face him and wrapped his arms around her. He proceeded to gently rock her to sleep and before AJ could say anything in protest, he just shhh-ed her, telling her without much words that it was okay. AJ just sighed softly and buried her head in his chest, accepting his cuddling embrace. For the rest of the night, she just fell into a quiet slumber in his arms, the thought of Trent far and away from her mind.

_***End of Flashback***_

* * *

"So you came up with bear because I'm a good cuddler? Wow, your impression of bears is way off, you know that," Punk chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Not those bears dummy, teddy bears, the ones kids hug with when they're about to sleep," AJ laughed, causing Punk to almost do a spit-take with his coffee as he tried to contain his own laughter.

"You okay there?" AJ asked, still giggling.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I still can't believe you actually tweeted out that I'm a cuddler though," Punk said, referring to the tweet AJ sent out a couple of months ago after their promo with Paul Heyman and Brad Maddox.

"Hey, it helped to develop the story, didn't it? Plus, it's not like I lied or anything," AJ replied shyly as she turned her attention towards the breakfast buffet spread the restaurant had laid out from afar. "Anything good they have over there?"

Punk briefly glanced at the buffet table before shifting his eyes back to AJ. "Meh, not really. This cupcake's okay, I guess, definitely not the best in the world," Punk smirked as he looked down at his half-eaten cupcake.

"Oh, and for some weird reason, they don't serve pancakes," Punk said, annoyed.

"This isn't Waffle House, Phil. This is England. They probably eat biscuits and drink tea for breakfast," AJ uttered in a low voice, trying to not let the people around them hear her referring to the British stereotype.

"I'm sure they have pancakes for breakfast too, April."

"Well, whatever the reason may be, it doesn't change the fact that I'm starving right now. Be back in a sec," AJ took off, with hunger being her driving force, towards the buffet table.

Punk merely chuckled seeing her scurry the way she did. In the meantime, he took out his iPhone to check through his twitter when suddenly, he felt that someone was staring at him. He took a peek by looking up for a moment and a female waitress instantly turned her head away. He just grinned to himself and shifted his attention back to his phone after gazing at the woman for a couple of moments.

"What are you smiling about, hmmm?" AJ questioned after noticing him just smiling to himself. She sat down back in her seat but this time with a plate full of eclairs and various biscuits as well as a cup of hot coffee. If there was one thing the girl couldn't live without everyday, it would probably be coffee.

"Oh nothing... Just... Just don't look back but there's a girl who was staring at me behind you and she looked away the instant I lifted my head up just now. It's hilarious," Punk filled her in, trying to avoid making eye contact with the waitress so that she would not realise he was talking about her.

"CM Punk… Liking the attention of a woman… How am I not surprised?" AJ asked sarcastically as she finished an eclair in one bite.

"Hey! It's not my fault women find me irresistible. Anyways, she's not my type and I have a girlfriend, remember?" Punk retorted, referring to his long-time girlfriend known to many as Lita.

"Yeah, I do and I wonder how she would like it if I told her you were eyeing up another woman," AJ teased, swallowing another piece of eclair.

"I wasn't eyeing her up!" Punk denied.

"So how did you know she wasn't your type, hmmm?"

"I-I-I… Ok… Maybe I looked at her for a bit but that was it, honest," Punk declared apprehensively.

"Sure. Whatever you say chick magnet," AJ said sarcastically while mentioning the original meaning behind 'CM'.

Punk sighed, hoping she would not actually mention anything to Amy. "Speaking of women, how's your storyline with Vicky and John going?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"That's so mean," she gasped at his jab at the face of the company, John Cena.

"The guy wears a pink hat and pink wristbands to the ring, April. I think what I said was warranted," he reassured.

"Wearing pink doesn't make you any less of a man. Don't you know the saying 'it takes a man to wear pink'?"

"They never said it was a straight man…" Punk muttered, earning him another slap to his shoulder but this time, it was a little more forceful, "Ow, ok, jeez, I was just joking. God, I didn't know you felt so strongly about John. Somebody's gotta warn Nikki, huh?"

Next thing he knew, Punk was grimacing in pain and favouring his right shoulder slightly. "Ok, I probably deserved that. Ahhhh, for somebody so small, you sure do pack a punch," Punk said, choosing his words carefully this time around because he did not want to get punched again. AJ just smiled gleefully at him, knowing he finally got the message.

"Anyways, it's okay I guess… It's great that I'm finally gonna be active again but it sucks that I'm gonna be straight away paired up with another guy again," AJ sighed looking down at her food, clearly not knowing whether her upcoming storyline was going to be good or bad for her as a singles competitor.

"Hey," Punk said, lifting her chin up with his curled index finger so their eyes could meet, "Working with John is gonna be a big deal, ok? I'm sure it's gonna be the next biggest story after my feud with Ryback. Your career's gonna skyrocket from here on out for sure."

"Yeah… The thing is, I'm only going to be working with John for a short while. I then have to work with Dolph for a couple of months," she revealed which caused Punk to almost choke on his cupcake for some reason.

"Are you okay? Boy, have you heard of digestion?" AJ chuckled as Punk somehow managed to not expel the bits of his cupcake that caused him discomfort moments ago.

"Dolph? Dolph Ziggler?" he blurted out after regaining his composure.

"Yep, creative want us to be the PG era's Lita and Edge," Punk's eyes widened at what she just said.

"Ummm, I don't know April… Nick's a good worker and all but he is a known womaniser," Punk admitted worryingly as he gulped down another piece of his cupcake.

"You do know how ironic you sound right now, don't you?" AJ snickered, hinting at the long list of women Punk's been with.

"Hey! I'm different, ok?" Punk stated, only to be greeted with an 'are you serious' face from AJ, "Ok, ok, maybe not much but at least I have relationships with most of the girls I've been with. Nick, on the other hand, just sleeps around, having one night stands."

"Look, I have no interest in what he does in his personal time. Like I said before, I'm all-business now. No more guys and I mean it. There's no need to worry, Phil. I'm a big girl afterall," AJ asserted, hoping it would bring him some peace of mind.

"Not really…" Punk muttered, causing AJ to raise her hand again but before she could hit her target once more, he raised both his hands in surrender, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Don't hit me, please!"

AJ laughed at his cowardice and lowered her hands, accepting his apology in turn. She then proceeded to finish up her meal. "In all seriousness, I just don't want you to get hurt again, April. It pained me to see you all broken up after Trent and I'd hate to see you in that state again anytime soon," he expressed in a worrying tone.

"Thanks for caring but really, there's nothing to worry about," AJ responded while placing her hand on top of Punk's which was lying on the table and rubbing it with her thumb. Punk smirked at her as he welcomed the extra heat of her hand after hours of putting up with the cold of the air-conditioner in the hotel.

"In fact, if I were you, I'd worry more about working with Ryback. Dude's a monster!" she exclaimed before taking one last sip of her coffee.

"Heh, sweetie, I'm the best in the world. You really think Ryback will be too much for me? In any case, if Nick hurts you in any way, you know who to call, right?"

"Yup, John Cena," she answered audaciously.

"Haha very funny. You're lucky I don't hit girls," Punk warned as he too finished up his food and drink.

"Oh, my hero," her three words riddled with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes, "Plus it's not like I'm gonna have a live sex celebration with Dolph in the ring. We're most probably gonna just make out, you know."

"Ugh," the thought of AJ and Dolph kissing irked Punk somehow.

"What, you jealous?" AJ teased.

"No!" Punk replied defiantly in almost an instant, "We've kissed before, remember, nothing special…"

He hoped his last sentence managed to cover up the fact that his green eyes were literally showing through. "Whatever you say, Punkybear. I wasn't the one who slipped the tongue in," AJ reminded him in a teasing fashion.

"You used tongue too!"

"Of course I had to! You chose to go off script. If I had rejected it, it would have looked bad for the both of us," AJ reasoned with him.

"I'm just saying, you could've not opened your mouth in the first place," he maintained, wanting to win the argument.

"You know what? Let's just end it here. This could go on for hours. No one wins this argument, agreed?" she offered her hand, waiting for him to accept the handshake.

"Fine..." they shook hands and plastered fake smiles, "But you totally did this 'cause you knew I was about to win."

"Ugh whatever. You can be such a child."

"What can I say? I'm a kid at heart," Punk professed as he placed his hand on his heart before looking at his phone to see the time, "By the way, you got any plans for the day?"

"Not really, unless you call reading the 'Dark Phoenix Saga' a plan for the day," she declared, referring to the X-Men comic book series she got when she was a kid.

"Woah, cool! I didn't know people still had those," Punk replied in astonishment.

"Yup, my brother got them when i was really young. Loved them ever since," she added, recalling one of the bright spots in an otherwise relatively dark childhood.

"Listen, there's this comic book store nearby. Kofi said it's around here somewhere. I'm gonna see if they have anything interesting to buy. I'm sure they have some X-Men series over there too. Care to join me?" Punk asked, hoping she would say 'yes' so that he did not have to go there all by himself.

"Hmmm, read a comic book which I've read dozens of times or go to a comic book store that I've never been to before with you?" AJ pondered playfully as she continuously tapped her chin with her index finger.

"Alright, alright smart-ass. I get it, you wanna tag along. But be warned, I have no idea where exactly the place is at. Kofi... didn't really give me great directions," he informed her, smiling warily.

"It's cool, being lost in England is so much better than lazing around in my hotel room anyways," she admitted, grinning at him.

"Ok then, after you ma'am," Punk said playfully as he got up from his seat and went over behind AJ's to pull hers out for her.

"Why thank you my good man," AJ played along, getting off her seat easily thanks to him. Both of them headed out of the restaurant and subsequently the hotel into the wilderness that is the city area of Nottingham, England.

* * *

**_A couple of hours later…_**

"Oh my god, I can't believe we got lost on the way there and coming back here," AJ chortled as her and Punk were making their way to his hotel room, their purchased comics in hand. Fortunately for them, both of their rooms were at the same level so it gave them the opportunity to walk and talk together some more.

"Don't blame me, blame Kofi! His instructions sucked! It brought us to a lap-dancing bar!" Punk snorted as he tried to contain his laughter but truth be told, with AJ laughing the way she was, it was hard for him to stop.

When they reached the front of Punk's door, their laughter slowly died down as they realised their time together was unfortunately coming to an end. "Well, I guess this is it, huh?" AJ asked as she unknowingly fiddled with her fingers.

"Erm… I guess so…" he started slowly before realising he had brought something along for the tour of Europe, "Oh wait! I have all the X-Men movies so far in my bag. Are you willing to sit through hours of those with me?"

Immediately, AJ's eyes lighted up. "All of them? Including 'First Class'? 'Cause I haven't watched that one yet," AJ revealed, hoping he had the latest one of the series.

"Yup! I haven't watched it either," Punk clarified as he retrieved his key card from the pocket of his hoodie and subsequently inserted it into the lock, opening the door with a 'click' sound.

Before AJ got carried away, she looked at her phone's home screen to see that it was already 6pm. If they were to get through the entire series, it would surely last till the dawn of tomorrow. "Ummm Phil," she started as she entered his room and closed the door. She then went to seat on the edge of the only bed in the room which faced the television set.

"Uhmm," he simply replied as he took out the discs from his luggage and began to insert the one both of them had yet to watch into the DVD player. This was followed by him turning the TV on and starting the movie.

"We'll be here all night if we finish all of that," she pointed out as she gestured with her hand towards the stack of DVDs on the floor.

"I'm not gonna force you to finish them, silly. Anytime you wanna go, just say the word and you're free," he clarified, taking a seat next to AJ on the bed.

"You say it as if you're holding me captive or something," AJ giggled, causing Punk to laugh.

"Just sit back and relax and enjoy the show, April," he said as he pushed himself back until he was sitting against the headboard of the bed. AJ followed suit after roughly thirty minutes into the show when she realised her back was starting to ache. An hour later and both their stomachs started to grumble in hunger. Apart from breakfast and a meal at a local 'Burger King', they had eaten nothing else for the day. When AJ's stomach growled loudly, it alerted both of them and she could not help but to blush in embarrassment.

"Looks like someone's hungry. I'll get us some room service," Punk chuckled as he picked up the hotel phone that was on the nearby bedside table. AJ smiled thankfully to him before she turned her attention back towards the TV.

"You okay with fish?" Punk questioned her as he was on the phone, about to make the order.

"Yep," she responded quickly, briefly looking over to him and giving him a smile.

After their food arrived, they went on to eat the food on the bed itself. They were going to be out of the hotel and the country in less than twenty-four hours anyway so they really didn't give a damn if they accidentally dropped a bit of sauce onto the bedsheets. After managing to watch through 'First Class', Punk popped in the first X-Men movie and went back to sitting next to AJ. Slowly but surely, as the hours passed by as well as another movie, both of them started to feel weary and tired. In fact, AJ was the first one to rest her head on the pillow. Not thirty minutes had passed since she lay on the bed flat on her back before she was sound asleep with her body facing Punk. When Punk realised the sleeping form of his friend, he turned the TV off and lay next to her.

"Goodnight April," he said quietly so as to not wake her. He then followed it up by placing a soft kiss on her forehead before turning his body towards her and closing his eyes. A small smile crept up on her face as both of them enjoyed their peaceful slumber with each other.

* * *

**~Review~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

Hello again, sorry to keep you guys waiting but here's the second chapter. I know I skipped through around 5 months but really, nothing of note happened between that time frame.

Also, it's been a great start so far with all the positive reviews so I hope it continues with this chapter. In any case, hope you enjoy!

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 1 is from...  
**

**VKxXx92**

_"I love long chapters, especially when they're about Punk and AJ. I like the idea of your story. People tend to write just a month or two before they actually got together, but I like how you're going far back to establish their friendship. And I imagine they are this cute in real-life too. _  
_Loved this first chapter, can't wait for your next update ;)"_

* * *

**_6 April 2013_**

It was Wrestlemania weekend. The days before the biggest show of the year were usually the busiest time for all the wrestlers. Everyone did their part in trying to promote the big event by going all over the country and doing interviews on radio and talk-shows. For AJ Lee and CM Punk, they had both just finished all of their respective interviews for the weekend with Punk's interview with Q97's Danny Salas being the last. It had been quite an interesting day for the both of them. They had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning to do all their media day obligations and it was tiring to say the least, especially for AJ. Still, the last interviews they had with Danny were surprisingly refreshing but it was not due to him to be honest, rather what happened during the interviews instead.

**_Earlier in the day..._**

"But it's really cool and I feel like I'm cheating and I have like this school that nobody else gets and so-" AJ's words stopped short as she felt a bump to her chair from the back, almost as if someone had kicked it. When she did turn around swiftly, lo and behold, she found the source of interruption: a smirking CM Punk in his usual grey 'Gracie' hoodie and whose body was now half-turned, trying to walk away and act all innocent.

"Oh, it's on, Punk," she thought to herself as she grinned back at him before turning her attentions back to Danny who was now explaining what had just happened to the listeners of his radio show.

**_Moments later... _**

"We have a bona fide, certified, unfortunately I have to say former WWE Champion but the best in the world, CM Punk," Danny said as Punk felt a kick to his chair. Turning to his left slightly, he was about to scream at whoever had just done so but his facial expression quickly softened when at the corner of his eye, he saw a petite figure wearing a black cardigan matched with skinny jeans and converses walking away. Looking over to his right this time, his instincts were correct and it in fact was AJ who was now scurrying away as if nothing had happened.

Punk grinned to himself as he thought, "I'm gonna get you back, April."

* * *

AJ was sitting by herself at one of the tables in catering while scrolling through her twitter on her phone when again she felt a familiar thud on her chair. Merely smirking, she knew who the culprit was and subsequently went to shake her head. The chair beside her moved back and a figure sat on it. Turning her head slowly, her brown eyes met the green orbs that belonged to a certain straightedge superstar.

"Did you have to?" AJ asked, eyeing him up.

"Of course, you know me. I always have to have the last laugh," Punk chuckled as he lay back on the chair and rested both his hands behind his head in an arrogant fashion.

"Ugh, you're such a douchebag," she sighed loudly, placing her phone down on the table and paying full attention to him, "So whatcha' doing here?"

"Well, to talk to you, of course. What else?" Punk asked in a rhetoric manner, a smile creeping up on his face.

"About?" she answered in a hurry, almost as if to brush him off as quickly as possible.

"Wow, I'm sensing some coldness here. What, did your boyfriend dump you or something?" Punk teased, referring to Dolph.

"He's not my boyfriend!" AJ shrieked, clearly annoyed.

"Ok, ok, chill. Don't need to be so touchy… Jeez, are you on your period or something?" he said, trying to calm her down, though it obviously did not work because he was instantly met with a death glare.

"You're one strike away from getting bitch slapped, you know that?" AJ exasperated as she brought up one of her hands, ready to strike.

"What? I don't get three strikes?" Punk retorted but immediately turned his face away when her hand started to approach his face. It stopped short in its tracks the moment his head moved and light laughter followed.

"Such a wuss," she giggled as she retreated her hand.

Punk turned his head back to look at her and smirked, "There's the smile I was looking for."

"Well you found it," she replied with another smile, glad that her friend managed to cheer her up somewhat, "Sorry if I was acting a little pissy just now."

"Hey, no need to apologise. I'm like that every day and somehow you don't seem to be bothered by it so it's cool," he reassured, "But any reason why you're in such a mood today? Wrestlemania's tomorrow and you don't seem to be too thrilled about it."

"Nah, I'm excited for it. Like really, really excited but I guess I'm just a little cranky today 'cause I had to wake up at 3.30," she explained before looking over to the buffet table nearby, "Also, I haven't eaten anything except for a sandwich."

"Well, let's fill that tiny stomach with some food then!" he exclaimed, standing up from his seat and grabbing her hand to pull her out of her seat. He then led her by her hand towards the buffet table. Once there, he handed her one of the paper plates and also took one for himself. However, after one glance at the food on display, Punk groaned loudly.

"What's wrong?"

"The food sucks," Punk answered, annoyed. AJ proceeded to look over the food as well and let out a sigh.

"Ok... It doesn't look that appetising but what else can we eat?" she exhaled, looking back at him.

Immediately, Punk's eyes lighted up as an idea popped into his head, "So Joisey, mind showing me around town for a bit?"

"First of all, no one in Jersey ever pronounces Jersey that way, only those 'Jersey Shore' douches do," AJ clarified in an annoyed tone, "Secondly, what about your girlfriend?"

"What about her?"

"Don't you think that she'll get mad that you're not having lunch with her?"

Punk merely laughed at her thought as he placed their plates back on the table, "As far as I'm concerned, she's somewhere in New Jersey eating and shopping with Trish."

"She ditched you?" she asked, astonished.

"Yep, just for the day since I was going to be doing media all morning," Punk revealed, "So I'm all yours for the rest of the day."

"Well then, you hungry for some pizza?" AJ teased, poking his stomach with one of her index fingers.

"Hell yeah! Lead the way, Joisey," he playfully responded as he stepped aside, letting her be the guide for the day.

AJ simply brought her index finger and thumb close together but just far enough so they did not touch and warned, "This close Punk, this close."

"I like to live dangerously," Punk said, shrugging it off with a small laugh as AJ rolled her eyes before following her to her rental.

Before setting off, Punk could not help but to snigger to himself quietly when he noticed how far forward AJ's seat was. He somehow managed to do so without her realising his laughing form. The sting of her slaps was no joke and he still remembered the first time she slapped him during one of their rehearsals. He absolutely did not want to relive that experience again. As for their journey to the pizza place, it was not a long one. It definitely was not long enough for them to talk about what they have been up to for the past couple of months. In fact, for most of the ride there, Punk was abnormally quiet and the reason for his silence was actually the 5'2" tall figure sitting beside him in the driving seat. AJ definitely noticed this when he held onto the door handle as if his life depended on it.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm bracing myself for the inevitable crash," Punk retorted.

"Just for that, you're getting slapped later," she announced, a slight scowl appearing on her face.

"Fine, as long as I'll still be alive. Anything's better than this torture," he claimed, gripping the handle tighter.

AJ instantly turned her head in his direction and gasped, "Yup, you're definitely gonna feel my slap and if I could, I'd do it right now."

"April! Eyes on the road!" Punk shrieked as she diverted her attentions quickly back on the road, an annoyed look forming on her face, "Look, you can slap me as many times as you want later, ok? Just get us there in one piece. Fuck, I can't believe I actually might not make it to Wrestlemania."

AJ just rolled her eyes and shook her head. She was going to get her revenge, alright. When they arrived at a small, local pizza joint by the name of 'Ralph's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria', they exited the car and made their way inside where they managed to find a table for two situated at the back of the restaurant, away from most of the other patrons.

"Any reason why we're seated so far from everyone else?" AJ questioned as she picked up the menu.

"C'mon, you know me. I hate being disturbed by fans during my private time," he answered while looking over the menu.

"Yeah, I've heard the stories," AJ snickered, recalling some of the rumoured run-ins between Punk and his fans, "So, pepperoni sound good to you?"

"Yup, extra cheese, please," he added, placing the menu down to look at AJ.

"You don't have to tell me twice," she giggled, referring to the fact that they both liked cheese a lot, "Waiter."

AJ went ahead to make their order before glaring at Punk.

"What?"

"Oh nothing… Just wondering when's the best time to slap you, that's all," she teased as Punk gulped in fear.

"Heh, enough about me… How are you doing with Dolph and Big E?" he said nervously.

"Trying to change the subject I see but I'll bite," she continued, "It's actually been great, far exceeded my expectations to be honest."

"That's good, I'm really happy for you. And Nick hasn't tried anything with you, right?" Punk asked curiously, hoping she would say 'no'.

"Actually... He did invite me for a night with him in his hotel room the very first day we worked together…" she drawled, causing Punk's eyes to widen.

"But... You did reject him, right?"

"Erm... You see... I don't know if I should tell you this but what the heck, we fucked. It was amazing."

"What?!" he yelled so loud that it attracted the attention of the other eating customers.

"I'm kidding! You should... See… The look... On your face... Right now," AJ uttered in between breaths of laughter as Punk blushed slightly.

"That wasn't funny, April."

"Oh, yes it was," AJ asserted as she wiped away some tears with her fingers, "C'mon, Nick's nice and all and especially a great co-worker but he's definitely not my type. Too show-offy. Friends are all that we'll ever be. No benefits."

AJ winked at him after her last words, causing Punk's body to loosen in relief. Although he truly did not want to see her get hurt by getting in a relationship with the wrong guy, a part of him still felt guilty that he would have been jealous of Dolph if he and AJ did hook up. Punk had a girlfriend and AJ, most importantly, did not belong to him so why was he feeling this way? He quickly tried to shake off these thoughts and at that moment, the same waiter that took their order arrived at their table with a hot, aroma-enticing, large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese.

"Wow, that smells amazing," he commented as he took a slice for himself and savoured the smell the pizza was giving off.

"If you think that's amazing, you should try tasting it," AJ said before biting off a chunk of her slice of pizza.

"Mmm, I have to visit New Jersey more often. This is delicious," Punk praised, finishing his slice in record time.

"Woah, easy there, tiger. Don't get yourself sick. I'd hate to see you miss a match with the Undertaker."

"A match that I'll lose," he said quickly.

"Damn it! Did you have to spoil it for me?" AJ frowned slightly, unfortunately now knowing the outcome of her most anticipated match.

"Well, that's for giving me a mini heart attack just now!" Punk chuckled, ravaging through another slice.

"So will Taker ever lose that streak?" she queried as the number of pizza slices left dwindled.

"Nah, don't think that's happening anytime soon. If it does end, it's gonna be someone they think is gonna be the face of the company," he explained, enjoying the last few bites of his pizza.

"And that isn't you?"

"Heh, obviously not, sweetheart. If I'm the face of the company, I wouldn't have lost the title to The Rock of all people," he said, still disgruntled at the fact that he had to drop the WWE Championship to 'The People's Champion' to set up _another_ feud with John Cena at Wrestlemania.

"Yeah, that really sucks losing your title to someone who barely wrestled, especially after suffering a knee injury at the hands of someone _I_ _warned you about_," she reminded him about her telling him to be careful when working with Ryback, emphasising on the last four words.

Punk just responded by smiling wryly while rubbing one side of his neck, anxiously wanting to tell AJ the big news he had been hiding from everyone on the roster.

"What's up?"

"About that knee injury…" he slowly came out as AJ nodded along, pushing him to tell her what is on his mind.

"It's still sore so… I'll be taking a break for a couple of months," he finished as he stared straight into the eyes of the crazy chick.

"What?! No! Not again!" AJ said, clearly displeased by the news. For the one month Punk was out injured, AJ felt like a part of her was missing. Sure he came to the RAW tapings and managed to cut promos, but for the other nights such as the Smackdown tapings and house shows he was resting at home, rehabbing his knee. Because of that, she did not get to see or talk to him much for that month and she would be lying if she said she did not miss him or felt lonely at times. Apart from Kaitlyn, she did not really have many friends as a lot of the other Divas backstage were jealous of her push and success.

"It's not gonna be that long, April. Trust me, you won't even notice I'm gone, especially with Dolph and Big E by your side now," Punk reassured, hoping to calm her down.

AJ sighed, saddened by the fact that she would not be able to see her close friend for months, "Do you have to? When will you be back then?"

"Yeah, I gotta go and rest up. Something's just not really right with my knee at the moment. I'm not really sure how long I'll be gone but I promise it won't be that long," he vowed, placing his hand on his heart like a boy scout would do before reciting a pledge. AJ could not help but to smile seeing how cute he was being right now.

"Alright then, if you break that promise, I'll personally hunt you down until my palm lands on your cheek," she promised, finishing up the last bits of pizza that was left.

Punk simply laughed. He loved how she could turn any sad situation into a positive one, no matter how bad it was. She never failed to bring a smile to his face and that was one thing he would honestly miss for those few months he would be at home. Seeing as how they had managed to make it seem like a pizza never existed on the circular platter before them on the table in the first place, he suggested driving them back to the hotel where all the wrestlers were staying at.

"Is my driving really that bad?"

"I've always been honest with you, April… So yeah, it's bad. Like so bad that the only time I'll be safe with you at the wheel is if we were in a plain desert, not even a cactus in sight," Punk exaggerated, clearly challenging her to slap him in public because he knew she would never dare to do so.

"Just watch out, Phil. You'll regret saying that," she gave him one of her classic crazy chick smiles with her head tilted to one side, trying to intimidate him.

* * *

After they pulled into the hotel's parking lot, they made their way to the lobby before entering the elevator, planning to lie down and rest in their respective rooms before the big day.

"So I talked to Amy in the morning," AJ revealed, surprising Punk.

"Really? I thought she was spending the entire day with Trish. What did she say?" he asked as the elevator stopped at their floor.

"Nothing much. We just kinda bumped into each other and she pulled me to one side to talk about my career for a bit… Told me something about not being a crappy version of a hot girl," she elaborated, walking beside Punk after exiting the lift.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"I guess she was trying to tell me to be myself and not become another one of those model-turned-wrestlers. I'm still a little fuzzy on it but I think that's what she meant," she answered somewhat doubtfully.

"Clearly someone was paying attention," Punk chuckled, sarcasm evident in his voice.

"Hey, it's not my fault your girlfriend can't give easy-to-understand advice," she countered.

"Ooooooh snap. I wonder what will be her reaction when she hears that sweet little AJ said mean things about her supposed idol," he teased as he tapped his chin continuously in a slow rhythm with his right index finger.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Have I ever lied to you, April?"

"No, don't! She'll never speak to me again!" AJ begged as they reached the front door of Punk's hotel room.

"Ok, I'll make a deal with you. I have an XBOX and WWE '13 gathering dust in there. First to three wins… Well, wins. If I win, I'll tell Amy what you said about her. If you win, I'll keep my mouth shut and pretend this conversation never happened. Deal?" Punk offered as he unlocked the door of his hotel room with his key card. In all honesty, he had no real intention of telling Amy what AJ had told him, no matter the outcome of the bet. He just wanted to use it as an excuse to play with her.

"Deal! I can't believe you're challenging the 'WWE '12 Superstar Challenge' champ. This is gonna be a walk in the park," AJ boastfully said as she wiped some imaginary dirt off her shoulder.

"Heh, well you'll be in for a surprise then," Punk sniggered as he turned on his XBOX and popped the game disc in.

* * *

After 4 matches in which Punk refused to use no one but himself, they were tied at two wins apiece. Both of them sat right on the edge of the front of the bed, eagerly anticipating their last match.

"This is it, huh. For all the marbles," he declared as he once again picked himself to play with.

"Yup, and since you're gonna lose to Taker tomorrow, I'm gonna bet you'll do the same in game as well," AJ giggled after choosing the Undertaker.

When the bell rung to signal the start of the match, which had the stipulation of Tables, Ladders and Chairs, both of them went at it, giving their all. Deep down, Punk knew AJ was inevitably going to win. She was definitely the better player out of the two and not only that, Punk was beginning to tire. Even though he had a match against the legendary Undertaker tomorrow, this was definitely the toughest challenge he was going to have all week. He had to somehow distract AJ and he thought talking to her could work.

"So, I've been meaning to ask. Since you've kissed a lot of guys and all, who's the best?" Punk quizzed AJ, trying not to be distracted himself while doing so.

"Huh? Oh… Erm…" she started slowly, gathering her thoughts. She knew what he was trying to do. All she was thinking about was giving an answer that would somehow infuriate him so as to turn the tables back onto him.

"Definitely Dolph," she answered, grinning to herself.

"What?!" he roared as AJ got the upper hand after knocking Punk off the ladder he was climbing and causing him to fall through a table nearby, "You can't be serious."

"Oh I am," she lied as her character started to ascend the ladder, victory within sight.

"No, no, no, no. Timeout," Punk declared as he paused the game, clearly upset that his plan was backfiring and more significantly, upset about her answer.

"Hey! No timeouts!"

"My room, my rules," he reminded her as she let out a small sigh in defeat, "So Nick's a better kisser than me?"

"Yeah, got a problem with that?"

"Yes! 'Cause I know for a fact that's not true," he said, setting his controller down on the bed and staring straight into her doe eyes.

"Well it is so deal with it," AJ replied, turning her attentions back to the TV. In her mind, she was actually loving the fact that she managed to get him this pissed. It always brought a smile to her face seeing him squirm like this.

"No, I won't," Punk maintained before he brought both his hands to the sides of her face and turned her head to face him.

Without warning, he swiftly pressed his lips against hers, causing AJ's eyes to widen in shock. She thought of pushing him off but her hands were still in possession of the XBOX controller and sure enough, she soon melted into the kiss. Closing her eyes, she savoured the touch of coldness radiating from his lip ring. It gave her goose bumps and a chill down her spine and when the wetness of his tongue met her lips, she accepted it and willingly gave him entry into her mouth where their tongues would explore and do battle. A barely audible moan left her lips when she felt their tongues tussle and turn, wrestling for dominance. Much like their two on-screen kisses, she could not help but want more as she released the controller and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing their bodies closer together and deepening the kiss. Punk's hands started to roam as they fell slowly from her face to the sides of her body and ending up at her hips. Her taste was infectious and he could not control what his hands were doing. They were starting to rub the sides of her black cardigan, causing AJ to moan lightly in pleasure. His hands moved slowly to the front of her body as he attempted to remove the thin piece of clothing. AJ, realising his intentions, released her arms from his neck to allow him to take off the jacket from her body but suddenly, a knock on the door halted his progress.

"Phil, you in there?" Amy's voice froze Punk and AJ in place, "I forgot my key card. I just need to put down some clothes I bought and then I'll go have dinner with Trish."

"Crap, what did we just do?" AJ whispered as she let go of their embrace and looked worryingly at Punk, "Should I go hide in the toilet or something?"

AJ's voice brought Punk out of his state of shock and he fumbled over his words, "Er… Er… It… It's okay, just… Just stay here and grab the controller. I'll let Amy in. Act natural."

AJ hesitantly agreed as she fixed herself up quickly and diverted her gaze back to the TV with the controller now firmly in her hands, her nervousness shown by how tight she was holding on to it.

"Amy, hi," Punk started as he gave Amy a brief kiss after opening the door to let her in, "How was your day?"

"It was nice, Phi-," Amy stopped short of saying his name when she saw AJ's tiny figure sitting on the bed, "April, surprising to see you here."

"Um… Hey Amy, me and Phil were just playing around for a bit," AJ explained timidly as she gave a distorted smile, holding up the controller with one hand and shaking it in the air. Her words, though, had a deeper, darker meaning than just the game itself.

"Oh, thank god you came along then," Amy replied with a smile as she settled her bags of clothing down on the bedside table, "Phil's always bugging me to play with him when I couldn't for the life of me understand how that thing works."

Punk laughed hesitantly as he felt how awkward the situation really was and the worst thing was Amy had no clue about it.

"Anyways, you two go ahead and have some fun then. I'll be back in an hour," Amy said as she gave Punk a goodbye kiss and shut the door on her way out.

"Phew, that was a close call," he let out a huge sigh of relief before taking a seat beside AJ.

"Yeah, we… We can't do that again, Phil," she admitted as she ran a hand through her long, black locks, "I… I don't want to hurt Amy."

"Me neither. Look, I'm sorry I came at you like that. I was just foolishly trying to prove a point, you know. I don't know what came over me. I really hope this doesn't ruin our friendship," he conceded.

"No, no. I messed up too. I was baiting you. I could and should have stopped it sooner... Friends?" AJ said frantically before putting her hand out, hoping this incident did not change things between the two of them.

"Friends," Punk assured as he shook hands with AJ. The contact of their skin still gave them shivers as they lingered in that position a little longer than what it should have been.

"Erm, I better get going," she finally released the hold between them, "Don't wanna be late for dinner with Nick and E. Wanna come?"

"Nah, room service is good enough for me," he responded, pointing to the phone in the room as both of them stood up from the bed and headed towards the door.

"Oh, ok then. Give me a call if you change your mind," a wry grin developed on her face as she stood in the hallway, just outside his room.

"Yeah, I will. See you later, Apri-"

Out of nowhere, a fast swinging hand caught the straightedge superstar off guard, stinging him right on the cheek. Groggy from the impact, he simply held his hand onto the part of his face which was now burning in pain.

"Owww! What the fuck was that for?!"

"It's for all the times you insulted me today, remember?" she winked as she shook off some of the sting from her hand, "Plus, take it as a goodbye present. Now you'll have a part of me with you while you're at home resting."

Punk tried to laugh but the pain did not allow him to do so. Instead, he just waved with his available hand in return as she walked away to her room, waving him goodbye. He proceeded to close the door after re-entering his room but leaned his back on it and slowly descended until his butt touched the floor. AJ definitely left him a present, alright, and it was not the slap, rather the kiss they shared. Putting his fingers on his lips softly, he could still feel her lingering taste. It was definitely better than the taste of the pizza he had earlier and more worryingly, it was also better than the two kisses he shared with Amy. Could it be he was falling for someone else? Again, he had to shake those horrible thoughts out of his head. No. He could not hurt Amy, not again. But what if AJ felt the same way?

His train of thoughts was broken when he felt a vibration in the pocket of his sweatpants. Taking his phone out, his green eyes were met with a message from AJ on his home screen.

"_You're right. I was lying. You've always been the best_ _;-)_"

* * *

******~Review~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

Hello people, I'm here once again to bring you another chapter for this story :D

Again, I can't believe the amount of positive reviews I'm getting from this story so I hope the trend continues again. I'll be having my exams in a few days so you won't be hearing from me for at least another week or so but fret not, the moment my last paper ends, another new chapter will be written and hopefully finished within the same day. Until then, happy reading!

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 2 is from...  
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**cRiMsOnGoDdEsS01**

_"I need more, please! This is just getting better. I can't wait for the next update :D"_

* * *

_**16 June 2013**_

Wrestling in his hometown was always a special occasion for CM Punk and today was no different. No matter what character he was playing, heel or face, he would undoubtedly be cheered by his fellow Chicagoans. It brought about the most memorable moment of his career to date. Around the same time two years ago, he came toe-to-toe with John Cena in a match which many fans and even co-workers were left in the dark regarding the outcome of it. The ruckus welcome he received paled in comparison to the reaction the crowd gave when he pinned the Cenation leader for the win and literally walked out the arena with the WWE Championship. It probably was the reason why he received a call from Vince McMahon a couple of weeks ago.

* * *

_***Flashback***_

Punk was heavily engrossed in one of his favourite 'Walking Dead' comics when the ringtone of his phone sounded off, breaking his concentration on his book. Letting out a huge groan, he stood up from his previously lying form on the couch and reached out for his phone which lay on the nearby table. Picking it up, he looked at the screen to discover the source of disturbance. He let out a small sigh as he saw 'Vince' plastered at the top of his phone's home screen. Pondering for a couple of moments, he finally swiped the screen to end the phone's screeching.

"What's up, Vince?" Punk greeted happily in a sarcastic attempt to actually sound upbeat.

"Hello, Phil. Nice to hear you're in a good mood today," Vince replied, surprised at his employee's pleasant attitude.

"I'm always in a good mood. I know I haven't been there in a while but have you already forgotten how I am?" Punk's sarcasm was now obvious to Vince.

Vince sighed, "Same old Phil. Some things just never change, do they?"

"Nope, so cut to the chase. What do you want?" Punk asked in a snap. Vince could only let out another sigh as he pondered about what to say. He had been planning on beating around the bush before asking his question to soften Punk's expected agitation but there was no trying with him. His hard head made negotiations difficult and this was especially the case two years ago.

"Ok, how's your knee? We're thinking of having you return at the new pay per view in two weeks. It's in Chicago," Vince informed, adding the last part in in hopes of enticing him to return.

"It's okay, I guess, but do I really have to?"

"Look, I'm not forcing you but we really want you to return as a face and coming back in Chicago will do just that. We still have one slot open on the card," Vince replied, almost begging him.

"Fine, I'll do it," he answered hesitantly, "Who am I up against?"

"We're thinking of Jericho, you okay with that?"

"Yeah, sure, that sounds good to me."

"It's a date then. Glad you're coming back. Personally, I miss not having you always in my ear," Vince admitted with a light laugh.

"Heh, likewise," he replied, a smirk forming on his face, "Anything else?"

"Nope, that's all. Your bus will arrive on the day itself outside your house at around 5. Until then, rest up and I hope to see you soon, Phil."

"Ok Vince, thanks. Bye," Punk removed his phone from his ear and tapped on the screen, ending the call. Before he thought of settling it down back on the table, something or rather, someone crossed his mind. _AJ. _He lingered with the phone in his hands, thinking if he should tell her about his return. After thinking through thoroughly, he decided to give her a call. Listed as one of his favourite contacts on his phone, he spent almost no time in the process of calling her. However, after three calls to which all of them went straight to voicemail, he knew AJ did not want to hear from him. Breathing out a loud sigh, he blamed himself for her ignoring him.

Ever since AJ had left him _that_ message two months ago, he had not been in contact with her in any form. However, that was not the fault of AJ's, rather Punk's. He avoided seeing and talking to her before subsequently leaving for his break. Since then, he had been ignoring all her calls and text messages as well. Before eventually giving up on him, each week, she at least attempted to call him once, hoping to hear how her friend was doing but to no avail. She even tried messaging him privately on twitter of all places to get a reply but nothing. Not even a hello. On one of the rare occasions he checked through his twitter, he saw a tweet on his timeline from AJ where she replied to a fan that she too missed her 'Punkybear'. He so desperately wanted to reply to that but he had vowed to keep his distance from AJ during his break. The reason being his growing feelings for her. He felt guilty that he kissed her and worst of all, really liked it. Adding insult to injury, he did it in the same room him and Amy shared for the weekend and kept it a secret from her till today. He needed to get AJ out of his mind for the sake of Amy so ignoring her seemed to be the best solution at the time but as time passed, his thoughts got more and more clouded with AJ. He even went to Blackhawks' and Cubs' games with Amy to forget about AJ but it just made things worse. He was caught in her '_web_', bad.

_***End of Flashback***_

* * *

"We're here!" Amy exclaimed as the bus pulled into the parking lot of the Allstate Arena.

"Great! Let's go!" Punk replied in an upbeat tone as the pair of them exited his bus and made their way inside the arena, weaving through the many production trucks in the vicinity. Punk was torn emotionally. Part of him was excited to wrestle in his hometown but another part of him was nervous to see AJ. Since finding out about his return date, he was determined to make things right with AJ. He did not want any awkwardness between the two and was hoping things could go back to the way it was.

"Hey sweetie, I'll go catch up with Steph. You go ahead and warm up, k?" Amy said as she saw Stephanie McMahon and Triple H walk around the corner.

"Ok, I'll see you later," Punk responded as she gave him a quick peck on the lips before she went in search of Stephanie. After she turned the corner, Punk groaned as he made his way to the trainer's room to get himself checked up. He was starting to feel numb by the kisses he shared with Amy. It had nothing to do with her at all. She was still as loving as before. The only thing, or rather, person that changed was him. His love for her was dying because it was growing for someone else. Someone he had not even seen or heard in a little over two months. After he got the all OK from Dr. Amann, he went in search of AJ, hoping to settle things between the two of them. Walking down the halls backstage, he spotted AJ in the corner of his eye talking to Big E. She was already decked out in her ring gear which featured mostly black colours with the pink shoelaces and pink half of her shorts being the only contrast.

_"Damn, I forgot how cute and hot she looked like,"_ Punk thought to himself. He immediately cursed himself for thinking of AJ in that way and gave himself a little slap to the cheek to snap himself back into reality. Taking a deep breath, he summoned all his courage and walked gingerly towards the pair.

"Ummm, April?" he blurted out, trying to get her attention. She had been sitting on one of the production crates as she was talking to Big E, facing away from Punk throughout the entire time he was walking towards them. Hearing Punk's voice, an annoyed scowl appeared on her face.

"Hey E, we'll talk later, alright? Gotta settle some issues with an asshole," she said coldly and loudly, knowing Punk was behind her. Punk's face immediately turned into a grimace after hearing her stinging words which were ironically more painful than that of the slap she gave him roughly two months ago. Big E just nodded in agreement and glared at Punk briefly before walking away to the men's locker room.

"Well, if it isn't Mr. please-leave-a-message-after-the-tone," she mocked his phone's voicemail message as she turned her head hesitantly to face him, "What brings you here? I mean, I thought you weren't talking to me?"

"April, listen, I know you're mad I didn-" Punk started but was quickly interrupted by her.

"No! Don't you dare '_April listen_' me! I called you every fucking week and left you messages to see how you're doing and you didn't have the decency to even reply to any one of them?!" she raised her voice, garnering the attention of the backstage crew members nearby.

"April, shhh," Punk said, trying to calm her down and lower her voice.

"No! I won't keep my voice down! What am I to you, huh? I thought we were friends-"

"We are friends," Punk interrupted quickly, panic starting to sink in.

"Oh are we?" she asked sarcastically.

"If we're friends, then why the hell didn't you care enough to pick up any of my calls, huh Punk?" she asked. She rarely addressed him by his stage name. She only did so if she was really pissed off or wanted to prove a point and in this case, it was the former.

"I... I... I was... Busy," Punk stammered as he failed to arrange his thoughts properly and instead, gave a very vague answer which did not please AJ one bit.

"Busy?! Busy?!" AJ repeated in shock, "So busy you couldn't even reply to me with a simple '_hello_'?"

"I..." Punk was again at a loss for words. This was a man who craved the spotlight and attention of the main event of Wrestlemania. This was the same man that cut a 'pipebomb' where he had to have his microphone cut off just so that he would stop airing his grievances on live TV and yet this 5'2" tall spitfire was bringing him to his knees, making him quake in his boots. He refused to tell her the real reason for ignoring her because he was afraid of her reaction but this just infuriated AJ even more.

"You know what, Phillip? You've always said you were honest with me... So why can't you be that way right now? Look, when you're ready to talk, then come to me... If not, stay the hell out of my way," she declared with pain evident in her breaking voice as she jumped off the crate she was sitting on and walked away in a huff towards the divas locker room. Punk just sighed in return and kicked the same crate as hard as possible in frustration. Although he wanted to keep some space between himself and AJ so that he could control his emotions better, he absolutely did not want to completely push her out of his life. He subsequently went to look for Paul Heyman, hoping a conversation with an old acquaintance might make his night better.

* * *

After about five minutes of searching, Punk finally found Paul at one of the tables in catering eating with Curtis Axel, his new protégé, who was sitting beside him.

"Hey Paul, Joe," Punk greeted his old friend and Curtis as he took a seat across of Paul.

"Hey Punk."

"Champ! You're finally back! This place has been a bore without you. Luckily, I have a new client to work with while you were gone," Paul said with his eyes lighted up as he patted Curtis on the shoulder.

"Heh, I can see that," Punk responded, looking over to Curtis, "Listen to this man and you'll go far in this business, my friend."

Curtis just nodded his head in agreement, acknowledging Paul's history with the people he had worked with, before leaving the two of them to catch up.

"So I hear you have some girl troubles?" Paul questioned, grabbing his attention in an instant.

"What are you talking about? Me and Amy are fine," Punk lied as he took a sip of Paul's bottled water.

"I'm not talking about that girl. I'm talking about the small, fiery one who you shared a kiss with," Paul clarified causing Punk to spit out some of the water he was drinking.

"How did you know we kissed?!"

"Obviously everyone knew you two kissed, you two did it on TV last yea-" Paul stopped short when he repeated what Punk had just said in his head, noticing his slip up, "Why are you surprised that I knew you two kissed unless you tw-"

"Shhhhhhhhhh," Punk quickly placed his index finger on Paul's lips, halting him from going any further as he looked nervously around if anybody had picked up on what Paul was saying.

"You kissed her?" Paul whispered after Punk removed his finger from his mouth. Paul leaned over the table just to make sure that no one could hear their conversation.

"I wish we just kissed. It was more of a make out session that almost turned into a full-on sex scene," Punk elaborated quietly, leaning over the table a bit as well.

"And this happened when you were still with Amy?"

"Um... Yeah... In fact, I still am with Amy, though I probably wouldn't be right now if she had brought along her key card," Punk explained, recalling the day with AJ in his hotel room.

"Huh? I don't understand," Paul gave a quizzical look to Punk before Punk spent the next couple of minutes explaining the entire situation in detail to one of his best friends in the business.

"Wow, I really underestimated the amount of trouble you're having with _girls_ right now, huh?" Paul joked while emphasising on the word 'girls' as he leaned back in his seat to continue to finish his burrito.

"This is not funny, Paul," Punk hissed as he supported his elbows on the table top and covered up his face with both his hands, clearly stressed out.

"Ok, ok, I'm sorry but from what you told me, it seems like you have feelings for April," Paul concluded, taking another bite of his burrito.

"No, but… I can't have feelings for her… What about Amy?" he argued after removing both his hands to look at Paul.

"Break up with her then," he suggested sharply.

"Easy for you to say... I can't bear to hurt Amy again," Punk conceded, recalling the first time he broke Amy's heart, "I still love her, just... Maybe not as much as before and not in that way… Again… Plus, what if April doesn't feel the same way, huh? I could quite possibly ruin both my relationships with them."

"Sucks to be you then."

Punk quickly got a hold of Paul's bottled water and was about to splash it at his face before Paul hurriedly said, "I'm kidding! I'm kidding! I'll be serious, ok? Just don't ruin this suit. It's new."

Punk merely rolled his eyes as he rested the bottle back on the table and nodded Paul to go on.

"Ok, instead of trying to deny your feelings, see whether they're really true. Go ahead and spend some more time with April, without kissing her," Paul stressed on the last three words in an almost warning tone, "And see if you're still feeling the same way as you are now. If you don't get over this crush or whatever you have right now, you have to break it off with Amy and stop stringing her along. It's not fair to her especially."

Punk sighed after listening to his long-time friend and mentor. A lot of what he had just said made sense and he knew he eventually had to make a choice, a tough choice.

"Thanks Paul, now all I gotta do is somehow patch things up with April," he said as he stood up from his seat, scratching his now hairy scalp.

"Anytime, champ. Good luck," Paul smiled at him as he continued with his burrito.

* * *

AJ stormed into the divas locker room, only to be greeted with the sight of Kaitlyn tying up her boots.

"Woah, someone's in a mood," Kaitlyn sneered as she saw the panicking and uneasy form of her best friend.

"Ugh, don't even get me started on it," she said, wanting to brush off her conversation with Punk.

"Where's the rest of the divas?" she quizzed Kaitlyn, noting the emptiness of the locker room.

"Dunno, some of them are getting their outfits for the night from Sandra and the others are doing some 'Total Divas' stuff, or something like that," Kaitlyn replied, a slightly annoyed tone arose when mentioning 'Total Divas'.

"But enough about them, what's up with you? Who stole your converses?" she said jokingly as AJ rolled her eyes, taking a seat next to Kaitlyn.

"It's Punk," she uttered, breathing out heavily.

"Ah, the dude who blew you off," Kaitlyn added. Instantaneously, she was met with a death glare from the black widow.

"Ooooook, that obviously struck a nerve."

"Yeah, anymore wise cracks from you and I'll make sure I'll kick extra hard later," AJ warned, foreshadowing their Divas Championship match later in the night.

"So what he do this time?" Kaitlyn asked curiously as AJ ran a hand through her dark hair.

"He refused to tell me why he was avoiding me for the whole two months he was gone," AJ revealed, causing Kaitlyn's interest to pique.

"Why'd he do that?"

"I don't know! If I knew that, I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you now, would I?" she asked rhetorically.

"Did you like piss him off or make him upset in any way?" she quizzed AJ seriously.

"Don't think so… I mean... I did slap him in the face though," she admitted while giving a wry smile.

"Well that solves the mystery then," Kaitlyn said confidently as she finished tying up her boots and was now donning a large grin.

"No it doesn't. He was cool about it. It was kinda my revenge for him being a dick to me the entire day," AJ confessed as Kaitlyn's grin slowly faded.

"Well then, did you do anything else?"

"No… Except-" AJ stopped herself abruptly before divulging too much to her best friend.

"Except what?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly and innocently, "I think we should go warm up. Our match is gonna start soon."

"Don't change the subject, Mendez. What did you do?" she pulled AJ back down onto the bench as she was attempting to stand up and stretch.

"Nothing, honest," she lied.

"Say it, if not I'm not going out there later," Kaitlyn threatened, trying to get the answer she was pining for.

"You can't do that! Steph will fire your ass if you do so."

"Then I guess I'm fired," she said simply.

"What?! C'mon, you're not serious are you?" AJ exasperated as her friend refused to budge on her demands. The last thing she wanted was for her best friend to leave the company over something as petty as this.

"Does this face look not serious to you?" she replied while pointing with one of her index fingers at her face which was solemn to say the least.

"Ok, ok, fine. I'll tell," AJ gave in as she took in a deep breath before spilling her deep, dark secret, "Me and Phil kissed."

Kaitlyn's eyes widened in astonishment as she gazed at her friend with a blank look.

"Earth to Celeste, c'mon now," AJ snapped her fingers twice in front of her face to awake her from her state of shock.

"You two kissed?" Kaitlyn asked, wanting confirmation.

"Yeah… But it didn't mean much... I think."

"Really? Because I think something like this could be the reason why he's all cold to you," she suggested.

"Nah, doubt it. This is CM Punk we're talking about. He doesn't get hooked on to girls," AJ reasoned, wanting to eliminate the possibility of him liking her as more than just friends.

"He's still human, April. I bet you some part of him felt it. What about you?"

"What about me?" she repeated, arching an eyebrow at Kaitlyn.

"Did you feel something? Was it nice? Anything?" Kaitlyn fired the questions at her, hoping to get more out of her.

"Well… I'll admit it was nice…" she started, recalling the kiss as she looked down on the ground shyly to hide the blush creeping up on her face. Inside, she was grinning like a school girl thinking about Punk and their kiss.

"And?" Kaitlyn drawled, pushing AJ to spit it out.

"And it was the best kiss I've ever had alright! Happy?! Ugh, I'm such a horrible person," she admitted, frustrated that Kaitlyn had gotten the best of her. Kaitlyn laughed seeing how worked up she was but her last sentence caught her attention.

"Wait, why did you say you're a horrible person? There's nothing wrong with liking a kiss from the guy."

That was when AJ filled her in on all the details of what happened in that hotel room. After AJ was finished, that was when it all made sense to Kaitlyn.

"Woah, so he was cheating on Amy?" Kaitlyn buzzed in shock.

"No he wasn't! Well, kinda... But it wasn't full-on cheating..." AJ tried to make it sound not as bad as it was.

"So you're telling me if Amy hadn't walked in or rather, spoke up, that you two wouldn't have done _it_?" Kaitlyn asked sceptically as she studied the facial expressions of AJ.

"I… I don't know, alright. Maybe one of us would have snapped out of it and come to our senses but I just don't know, ok?" AJ divulged as she leaned her head back on one of the metallic lockers, slightly regretting that day.

"Don't you see? This was why he was avoiding you. I think he felt there was something more to the kiss and is now torn between you and Amy," she suggested again as AJ laughed sarcastically.

"Torn between me and Amy?! Is he blind? She's a 10 and I'm like a 5 on a good day," AJ snickered at Kaitlyn's thought process before a knock on the door of the locker room halted her laughter.

"I'm just saying," Kaitlyn started as she headed to the door to open it.

"Amy isn't all th-" Kaitlyn immediately hushed herself when she opened the door, revealing the red-headed former Women's Champion. AJ's eyes broadened as well as she thought to herself, _"Speak of the devil."_

"I'm not all what?" Amy asked, intrigued.

"Err…" Kaitlyn started briefly before AJ intervened.

"We were wondering how you weren't '_all-ready_' in the hall of fame," AJ beamed to herself on the inside as she quick-wittedly managed to talk her way out of the situation.

"Oh, nah, I won't be in it until another couple more years I think. I just talked to Steph and she seemed a bit down on my chances of entering it this year," Amy revealed as she entered the room and shut the door behind her close, "Anyways, I just came in here to wish the both of you good luck. I've seen the promos and story-telling and I have to admit, it's some damn good stuff. Keep it up and you'll have the next big women's rivalry in the WWE."

Amy then gave them some more pointers and tips to not only help them for today but as well as for their futures before taking off to find Punk.

"You see, how can I compete with a woman like that?" AJ exhaled, standing up, "He definitely did not avoid me because of his supposed feelings for me."

"So now all of a sudden you wanna fight for him?" Kaitlyn teased as she followed suit and stood up, getting ready to stretch before their big match.

"No! That's not it at all!" AJ's cheeks blushed a fiery red at her suggestion, "I'm just saying, there's no way in hell I can match up to the great Lita. If he's thinking the way you're saying he's thinking, then he doesn't have much standards."

"Well, it is CM Punk, he doesn't always go for grade 'A' material," Kaitlyn chuckled before changing her tone to a more serious one, "So how are you gonna deal with this whole 'he's not giving me a reason why he's ignoring me' fiasco?"

"I don't know, maybe I'll text him or go find him and talk to him in person later. Hopefully, he didn't take what I said just now too much to heart," AJ confessed somewhat doubtfully before some of the other divas started to stream into the room.

"Listen, let's forget about boys for a minute and do what we gotta do," Kaitlyn whispered as AJ nodded in approval. They left the locker room together as they headed for the gorilla position. She hoped she could resolve her issues with Punk as soon as possible.

* * *

For the rest of the night, Punk and AJ did not manage to see each other, not even a glance of one another. This was because AJ was doing double duty since she had to escort Dolph out for his match against Del Rio while Punk left immediately after his match ended because Amy wanted to leave early for the next city where RAW was held. Punk agreed to leaving early as he thought giving AJ some time to cool down would be best before approaching her again the next day. This left AJ with no choice but to text Punk and she dreaded it because she had a feeling she was going to be blown off yet again.

Nevertheless, she still tapped on her phone's screen a message which read as followed:

"_Hey Phil, it's me again. I'm sorry I lashed out at you like that. I was acting like an immature, selfish bitch. I didn't mean to sound so obnoxious. I was just really worried about you, that's all. Can we just go back to how we were before you left because I really miss that Phil? You don't even have to tell me why you didn't answer my calls. You can take your time or never even give me an answer at all. All I want is for us to go back to how things were. Please? :("_

Punk was again reading one of his 'Walking Dead' comics when he was alerted by a vibration on the bed. Looking down, he saw his phone lying beside his thighs as he stood up to retrieve it. When he lifted up his phone to see the notification, he realised it was a message from AJ. Seeing as it was so long, he had to unlock his phone to read it in full. Reading through the message, though, Punk gradually turned into a smiling goof as he got what he wanted in the end: to spend time with her like he did beforehand. He looked to his side and noticed Amy was still fast asleep, so he decided to reply to AJ.

"_Hey you, there's no need to apologise. I should be the one saying sorry. I should've at least acknowledged some of your calls and messages. All you did was care and I just pushed it away. Truth is, I really just turned myself off from all forms of communication. I wanted to feel like I was in a cabin in the woods somewhere, no one to bother me, just like how I would play out the rest of my life once I retire, you know? Next time, send me a letter, ok? Lol." _

Punk lied, knowing full well if he told her the truth, she would most likely just push him away. However, he'll tell her soon in due time if things are _**meant to be. **_A reply came almost instantaneously from AJ.

"_Lol, well why the hell didn't you just say so? I would've understood. Instead, you acted like some stammering buffoon hiding a giant secret or something haha! So are we cool now?"_

A giant grin came over Punk's face as he typed.

"_Yeah, we're cool, champ ;-)"_

AJ's face mirrored that of Punk's as she could not contain her happiness. Despite her hurtful words towards him before, he still cared enough to watch her match.

"_Wait, y__ou saw my match?"_

Punk simply smirked seeing her text message.

_"Of course I saw it! Wouldn't have missed it for the world. That was one of the best divas' matches in a long time and I'm glad I witnessed it. Congrats champ :)"_

AJ's grin barely budged as she quickly typed her reply.

_"Thanks, that really means a lot coming from you, Punkybear ^^"_

Punk merely chuckled seeing her reply as they engaged in more texts with each other, trying to catch up with what the other person had been doing the past two months such as their latest comic book reads with sleep eventually halting them in the wee hours of 3 in the morning.

* * *

**~Review~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

I'm backkkk but this is more of a filler chapter though, setting up for the next one. _Hint: Bowling will be involved *wink wink*_ ;-)

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 3 is from...  
**

**Maizeandbluekid**

_"Another great chapter. I could feel the anger and emotion emanating from AJ when she told Punk off, and I could sympathize with Punk's conflicted feelings at the same time as well. Great job!"_

* * *

_**28 June 2013**_

For the past few weeks, Punk and AJ resumed talking and hanging out together like they used to before. They were once again enjoying each other's company. For Punk, he did not try to suppress his feelings for AJ and just reacted naturally and sure enough, he still had her on his mind daily. It was plainly obvious to see when he was faced with a question during his comic con Q&A in New York City.

"In 2012, you certainly had a lot of distractions with AJ Lee," a girl at the designated microphone started, bringing out the 'oh's from the crowd as Punk just shook his head and smiled sheepishly after taking a sip from his bottled water.

_"Sweetie, it's 2013 and she's still distracting me. If only you knew..." _Punk thought to himself as he placed the bottle back down and turned his head to the girl, giving her his full attention. He crossed his arms on the long table after he briefly rested the side of his head on his propped up right knuckle. He knew where this question was going.

"So I want to know who's your favourite diva? Current," she finished.

"Current?" Punk repeated as the girl nodded in confirmation. He proceeded to look down slightly and bite his bottom lip while scrunching up his face, trying to think of an answer.

_"AJ? C'mon, think of someone else. If you say her name, it'll be too obvious that you like her. Bellas? Nah, who would believe that. C'mon Phil, someone other than AJ," _Punk debated in his head. Covering the microphone in front of him so that no one in the crowd could hear, he faced Renee Young who was sitting to his left and wearing a bright red dress.

"Can't think of many," he whispered to Renee as he lightly laughed.

"Just pick one," she laughed along, egging him to answer the question. Punk then turned away from her and faced to his right as he rested his mouth softly on his slightly closed fist which was being propped up by his upright right arm on the table.

_"Ugh, there's gotta be someone you can come up with in this thick skull of yours. AJ. Damn it brain, stop doing this to me. AJ. Crap, don't take too long, Phil. AJ. Ugh, this wouldn't be happening if you controlled your damn mouth and didn't try to prove to her that you're the best kisser. AJ. Arghhhhhh, ok, you know what, fuck it,"_ Punk's mind went back and forth trying to come up with a name but each time, he was left with just one.

"AJ," he answered as a small grin formed on his face unknowingly and he hoped no one realised the amount of time he took to reply to the girl.

* * *

_**1 July 2013**_

Doing his normal warm-up routine backstage before his matches, Punk was in the middle of performing one of the basic yoga-inspired stretches called the butterfly stretch where his legs were bent to the sides with the soles of his feet held together with his hands. At the same time, he was also invested in a game of 'Bejeweled' on his phone to kill the boredom. As he was making one of his moves in the game, the screen turned black for a moment before a name popped up and the phone vibrated relentlessly, signalling a phone call. It was Chris Hardwick from 'Nerdist'. A couple of months back, he was on Chris' podcast which was conducted in Punk's very own home. Punk found Chris to be a very intellectual yet amusing guy and it was awesome to him that Chris himself was just as nerdy as him. With a lot of shared interests outside of wrestling, it was no wonder they hit it off and Punk was more than open to doing more stuff in the future with 'Nerdist'.

"Hey Chris, what's up?" Punk greeted after he answered the call and went on to sit on one of the production crates nearby.

"Hey Punk, nice to see you're on TV again," he replied.

"Whoa, looks like somebody's been watching a bit of wrestling," Punk teased as he took a sip of his bottled water. Chris was not really into wrestling but getting to know Punk made him take notice of it a bit.

"Well, I was only watching to see you and then I realised you were gone after Wrestlemania."

"Oh yeah, I took a small break to recharge but I'm back now," Punk clarified as he gave Kofi a high-five when he walked past him.

"I can see that. Anyways, I have a little project you might be interested in," Chris started.

"Go on."

"We're wondering if you'd be interested in a game of bowling, celebrity bowling to be exact," Chris explained, causing Punk's interest to pique.

"Oh, the ones where your team of nerds face off against the cast of popular TV shows?" Punk asked.

"Yup, that's the one. You'll be playing for charity as well," Chris confirmed, "So you in?"

"Of course, count me in. So I'm assuming the other members of my team has gotta be from WWE as well?"

"Yeah, but it's up to you who'll be in it so go nuts," Chris informed him as Punk's eyes lit up. He already had a name in mind.

"Ok, cool. So do you need like their names beforehand or something?" Punk questioned as his mind was semi-distracted with choosing his teammates.

"Nope, just their T-shirt sizes 'cause you'll need to wear a shirt made by WWE," Chris notified.

"Ah, ok then. Anything else?"

"Nah, just bring your 'A' game," Chris said in a challenging tone.

"They don't call me the best in the world for nothing. Get ready to get your ass handed to you," Punk taunted with a smirk.

"We'll see about that. Anyways, I gotta run. Nice hearing from you again."

"Likewise, see you Chris," Punk replied as he pulled his phone away from his ear and ended the call. Just as he did so, a pair of hands slid across his face from behind him and covered both his eyes. He instantly knew who it was judging by how small and delicate the hands were.

"Guess who?" the person behind him asked in a teasing fashion.

"This seems oddly familiar," Punk smirked as he took this opportunity to inhale some of the sweet scent that the hands were giving off.

"So, who am I?" the person giggled, wanting an answer from the straightedge superstar.

"Hmmm," Punk started as he rubbed his chin continuously with his fingers, "Amy?"

"What?! I don't sound like her at all!" AJ gasped in awe at his audacious answer as she quickly removed both her hands from his eyes and proceeded to slap him playfully on the arm. Although she ultimately knew he was pulling her leg, a small part of her legit felt hurt by his reply. Punk simply laughed along with her. For some reason, he was really curious to see her reaction when Amy's name was brought up and it surprised him how fiery she hit back at him.

She then took a seat beside Punk on the crate and said, "So I heard what you said about me this past Friday."

"Huh? What did I say?" Punk acted dumb. He knew exactly what she was referring to and was hoping she did not notice what he had said in the Q&A.

"C'mon, don't play dumb with me," she insisted as she got lost slightly in his green eyes, "Erm, you know what I'm talking about."

"I seriously have no clue what you're talking about. Honest," he lied while putting on a straight face, trying to give her the impression that his answer at the Q&A was not a big deal enough for him to remember.

"Oh," a slight frown formed on the Divas' Champion's face in disappointment, "Well, you said I was your favourite current diva…"

Punk could sense something was off with her all of a sudden. She did not look as happy and did not sound as cheery as before. _"Is she sad that I'm acting like I didn't care much for that question?"_ Punk thought to himself.

Hating to see her upset in any way, he quickly replied in a very upbeat tone, "Oh! That! Of course you're my favourite diva! Who else could it be?"

Instantly, a smile returned to her face after hearing what he just said.

"Heh, well I just wanted to thank you, that's all. It's not often you get the CM Punk seal of approval and I really appreciate it," AJ said as she tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

"No problem, I love to praise those who deserve it, like you," Punk gave her a warm smile before he teased, "But let's just hope Nick didn't get too mad I said that."

"Ughhhh, damn it Phil," AJ groaned loudly in annoyance, "How many times do I have to say it to you? I don't-"

"I don't like him in that way. We're only just friends. Yada yada yada," Punk completed her sentence for her while donning a large grin. He definitely loved to get under her skin by bringing up Dolph. AJ, on the other hand, was growing irritable by it.

"You're such a jerk," she stated it as a fact.

"A lovable jerk," Punk grinned at her, "So where is he anyway?"

"Dunno, the men's locker room, I guess," she shrugged her shoulders, "We're gonna be splitting up soon so we're working together less now."

"Awwww, is someone sad that they don't get to work with Nick anymore?" Punk razzed. Deep down though, he was glad her storyline with Dolph was ending soon. It always irked him how they kissed and how many times they did it in fact.

"I kinda am, but not for the reasons you're thinking of, which reminds me," out of the blue, AJ slapped him on the back of his head.

"Owww! What was that for?! You know I was just joking!" Punk wailed as he rubbed the back of his head with one of his hands, trying to get some feeling back on his head.

"How's the head, Dolph?" AJ reminded him as she placed both her hands at her hips, eyeing Punk up. She was referring to the tweet Punk sent out which contained that question and he tagged AJ in it as well. It even managed to garner over a thousand retweets and favourites.

"Oh, that," Punk smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head quickly. He knew he was in trouble now.

"I was just asking him how his head was. Concussions can be a scary thing, you know. Is that really wrong?" he defended innocently. Punk was not one to give in easily so he had to try to lie his way out of the hole he was in.

"Oh, how noble of you. Thanks for caring, really," the sarcasm in her voice was really showing through as she clasped her hands together, acting grateful.

"No problem-o. I serve to please," he said confidently, grinning back at her.

"Just one question?"

"Ok, shoot."

"Why the hell did you tag me in the tweet then?" she questioned as her cheery voice turned into a combative one. This was the question he was dreading. He had a feeling, no; he knew another slap was coming.

"Well... I... Err... You see..." he stumbled over his words before an idea came to his mind, "Since you're his onscreen girlfriend and all, I had to make it seem like you're taking care of him. That's all, really."

AJ merely rolled her eyes at his answer. He sure did know how to lie his way out of trouble.

"Nice save. I'll give you credit for that by not hitting you again," Punk breathed a sigh of relief. She was a master at toying with his emotions.

"But tweet something out like that again to me and you're dead, Brooks," she threatened, causing Punk to gulp in fear.

"Hey, don't act like you're the only innocent one here, ok? I happen to remember you replying by saying his was bigger than mine. Do you know how degrading that is to a man's ego?" Punk hit back, not wanting to let it go.

"I did clarify I was taking about your egos."

"Oh c'mon! Everyone knew you were referring to our dicks!" Punk insisted loudly, causing some of the nearby backstage crew members to turn their heads toward him and AJ. He immediately blushed in embarrassment.

"Fuck, I can't believe I said that so loudly," he placed the crook between his index finger and thumb against his forehead as he looked down slightly, covering a part of his face from the on-lookers. AJ broke out in a fit of laugher at him, not caring about the perplexed look some of the crew members gave them.

"I can't believe we're even still talking about it," she whispered so no one else could hear after she finally managed to calm herself down and control her giggles.

"Well we are and I don't care what you say, mine is bigger," Punk declared adamantly.

"The bulge in your pants says otherwise," Punk's eyes immediately widened as he covered his groin area with his taped hands.

"You actually look at our bulges?!" AJ laughed and looked away.

"Trust me when I say this, all the divas notice all of the guys' 'little friend', especially those who wear tight trunks," she teased, glancing back at him for a moment.

"Well I'm sorry that I'm more of a grower," he admitted defensively while folding his arms.

_"Oh fuck, that sounded way better in my head. Hell, you're talking to April out of all people about your dick, is this what your life has come to? This conversation needs to end ASAP,"_ regret would not even come close to what he was feeling as he pondered, staring straight ahead. AJ's eyes, meanwhile, had drifted down slowly from his face and she was now gazing unknowingly at his bulge. Oblivious to what Punk was saying, she bit her bottom lip instinctively. Her mind started to wander with dirty thoughts ever so slowly creeping into her head. Images of what Punk would look like bare naked began to fill her head.

"You know what April, this has gone too far. Let's just forget we ever had this conversation," Punk chuckled awkwardly, still looking straight ahead as he acknowledged the Miz who was walking by after completing his match. That meant his tag match with Curtis Axel was imminent.

"Anyways, I just talked with Chris Hardwick from 'Nerdist' and he wants to bowl against me and a couple of other WWE wrestlers for celebrity bowling. I already have Kofi in mind so I was wondering... If y-you're interested by any chance?" Punk was a little nervous about inviting AJ for the game so he chose to avoid looking at her in the eyes when asking her. When he did turn his head to cast his eye back on AJ, he was instantly faced with her looking down somewhere.

"April? April! Did you hear what I just said?" in a split second, AJ's head shot up. To say she had a look of surprise was an understatement. She hoped, no, she prayed that he did not notice what she was doing.

"Huh? Y-yeah, yeah," she merely replied with subtle nods of the head, borderline stammering with her answer. Her cheeks, flushed with a tinge of pink in embarrassment, was the last thing she was worried about. She hoped her generic answer was enough to convince Punk that she was indeed listening to him.

"So you'll bowl with us?" Punk hurried her for confirmation as he saw one of the technical crew members signalling to him and hurrying him from afar that his match was about to start.

"Err, yeah, yeah," the same two words came out again as nervousness was getting a hold of her body, "I-I'm in."

"Cool, I'll tell you all the details once everything gets finalised," he said, hopping off the crate.

"I'd love to chat more but my match is up next. Gotta run. See ya, teammate," he gave her a wink before heading towards the gorilla.

On his way to the gorilla, Punk started thinking about why AJ was acting a little off at the end of their conversation.

_"Hmmm, I wonder what was up with her just now. She was acting a little weird. She was also staring down at something. Was she staring at my... Nah, can't be. There was probably a big bug on the ground or something. She's afraid of bugs after all,"_ Punk brushed off his thoughts as he continued his walk to the gorilla.

* * *

AJ was left a nervous wreck after Punk departed for his match. When she saw Kaitlyn walk by, she got off the crate and quickly tugged her arm back with both her hands, stopping Kaitlyn dead in her tracks.

"What the?! April? What do you want?" Kaitlyn asked in surprise at her friend who was holding onto her arm tightly.

"You. Me. Talk. Now," she said in a low voice with her doe eyes firmly fixed on hers before dragging her around the corner. When AJ finally stopped pulling her friend along, she looked around the seemingly empty corridor, making sure no one was in hearing distance of their impending conversation.

"Ok, now that we're alone, you mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Kaitlyn asked, puzzled by AJ's increasingly panicking state.

"I think I like Punk," she blurted out in a serious tone as she ran a hand through her hair in distress.

"Pfft, well obviously. I'm not surprised. I mean, you liked kissing the guy after all so it was bound to happen that you would like him," Kaitlyn chuckled, "Tell me something I don't know."

"Ok then, I was imaging him naked while we were talking just now," AJ admitted.

"Whoa, all of a sudden, this seems more than just a little crush, huh?"

"Mhmm, and the worst part was that I was daydreaming about him while staring at the bulge in his pants," Kaitlyn proceeded to break out in hysterical laughter after hearing what AJ had just said.

"This is not funny, Celeste. I'm losing my mind over here and you're just standing there laughing," AJ said, crossing her arms in disapproval.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry... But it's just so... F-funny... I n-never... Thought y-you... were that t-type of... G-girl..." Kaitlyn stuttered between her fits of laughter. Once she calmed down somewhat, she wiped away some of the tears that had managed to escape from her eyes.

"Are you done yet?"

"Oh god, y-yeah, I think I'm cool now. Phew, ummm so like, did he catch you staring at his...?"

"I don't know, I thought for sure he was going to but he seemed unaware... Either that or he did notice and is now laughing at me behind my back like the douche he is. God damn it, I made myself look like such a fool," AJ covered her face with both her hands.

"C'mon, it's not that bad. We all have our dirty thoughts. It's normal," Kaitlyn assured, placing a hand on her shoulder.

AJ removed her face from her hands and replied, "Yeah, but it's not normal to have them for someone who's taken."

"Hmmm, maybe you could try spending lesser time with him so that you can get over this crush?" she suggested.

"Yeah, that might work..." AJ started before she suddenly remembered what she had signed up for, "Oh crap!"

"What?"

"Well, it's gonna be hard to do that when I have to freaking sit with him through a game of bowling," she exasperated, clearly stressed out.

"Huh? Bowling?"

"Yeah, you know, the game where you have to roll a ball to knock down some pins."

"I know what bowling is, April," Kaitlyn squinted her eyes at her, "What I don't get is why you have to go bowling with him?"

"Well... Apparently, while I was staring at his... You know..." AJ gestured with her open hand while nodding her head, not wanting to say the exact word, "He was inviting me to join him for bowling with a group of friends I think since he said something about bowling with us."

"And you said yes?!"

"Not really, I just said 'yeah' repeatedly so that he wouldn't notice that I wasn't listening to him then I..." her voice trailed away.

"You what? What did you do?"

"I said I'm in," she blurted out while rubbing the back of her neck. A feeling of regret stung in her words.

"Well why did you do that?!"

"I don't know, ok?! Maybe I was feeling bad that I was daydreaming about him while he was talking and thought this might make me feel better or maybe I lost control of my mouth since I was in a state of shock or-"

"Or... Maybe you just want to spend more time with him," Kaitlyn interrupted.

"Arghhhh, this is such a bad idea. I can barely talk to the guy without thinking about his cock so-" she got interrupted once more when Kaitlyn giggled to herself. AJ proceeded to give her a death glare which caused Kaitlyn to bite her lip and motion with her fingers that her lips were zipped close.

"As I was saying, so how can I sit through bowling with him where we inevitably will be sitting close to one another?"

"Can't you pull out?" she asked after 'unzipping' her lips.

"That's what she said. Ohhhhh snap!" AJ quickly replied while snapping both her fingers and pointing at her with a 'pistol' gesture using both her hands. For someone who seemed so stressed out just a couple of seconds ago, she sure did not seem to find it hard to joke around.

"Yeah... You've definitely been hanging around Punk alright," Kaitlyn rolled her eyes.

"Can you blame me? I mean, it was right there, I had to... But seriously, I already made a commitment to him, I can't just back out for no reason," she sighed.

"And yeah, maybe... He is kind of rubbing off on me," she added as a small smile came over her face naturally. A lot of Punk's sense of humour stems from inside jokes and innuendos and AJ was now starting to use them more often.

"That's not the only thing you wish he was rubbing off on you," Kaitlyn snickered back at AJ, smirking.

AJ gasped before slapping her on the arm, "Celeste!"

"What? It's true, isn't it?" she teased, giving another smirk to the tiny diva.

"No it's not!" AJ replied defiantly before she caught a glimpse of a large, burly man in the corner of her eye heading their way, "Now shut up, E's coming."

"Hey ladies, your match is staring soon," he looked at Kaitlyn before casting his eye towards AJ, "And our segment is right after. Shouldn't we get going?"

"Sure, as soon as she has sex with Punk," Kaitlyn said nonchalantly as she gestured with her thumb towards AJ.

"Celeste!" AJ could not believe that her best friend had just said that. Not only that, she said it with such ease, not even a hint of regret.

"Whoa, am I missing something here?" Big E had a confused look plastered all over his face.

"No, don't you dare," AJ warned, glaring at the former Divas' Champion. Kaitlyn bit her lip, thinking of whether to tell Big E her secret. However, she only pondered about it for literally two seconds before opening her mouth again.

"She has a crush on Punk," she blurted out and was now trying to stifle her own laughter.

"Celeste!"

"Awww, that's so cute. Wittle Apwil got a wittle cwush on a woy," Big E teased as he pinched one of AJ's cheeks.

AJ swatted his hand away from her cheek and raised her index finger at him, "Touch my cheeks like that again and you'll be lucky to have any fingers left."

"Err... Yes, ma'am," Big E saluted her, causing Kaitlyn to giggle at his actions, "But you do know he has a girlfriend, right?"

AJ sighed because once more, someone was telling her that fact, "Yes, I know, E... I-"

"That didn't stop her from kissing him though," Kaitlyn intervened once again and this time, she really could not control her laughter.

"What?!" he exclaimed over the hysterical laughter of Kaitlyn.

"Celeste! Oh my god, remind me never to tell you any of my secrets ever again," AJ shook her head disapprovingly as her friend's laughter finally began to die down.

"You kissed him?" Big E asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, he kissed me, ok? I repeat, he made the first move and kissed me!" she declared in defiance.

"But you kissed back," AJ face palmed in response. At this point, AJ did not know how she had not slapped some sense into Kaitlyn or taped her mouth shut for that matter. She was just making things worse for her and it did not help that now Big E was grinning like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Oooooo," Big E said teasingly.

"Look, it doesn't matter, alright. He was just trying to prove a stupid point. It didn't mean anything. We both agreed it was a mistake that's never ever gonna happen again and we've both forgotten about it and moved on," she explained, wanting this conversation to end as soon as possible.

"Clearly someone hasn't," Kaitlyn interjected again for the umpteenth time which caused AJ to raise her hand at her threateningly.

"Ugh! You know what, let's just go before we're late," AJ finally gave up on trying to explain herself and lowered her hand. She decided work was the best way to forget about all of this.

"Ooo, someone's a little touchy," Big E said softly.

"What did you say, E?" AJ turned back, giving him a look which could kill.

"Nothing," he replied swiftly, looking at the ceiling to portray his innocence.

"Hmph, I thought so," she said before she looked straight ahead again and they all made their way to the gorilla.

"E, I think we better drop it before she really does go crazy chick on us," Kaitlyn whispered soft enough such that AJ could not hear. Big E just nodded in agreement and chuckled softly along with her. AJ knew this was not going to be the last she heard of it from them and hoped she would soon get over this thing she had for Punk.

_"Ugh, c'mon April, snap out of it. He has a girlfriend. You can't, in fact you shouldn't feel this way about him. Gosh, why did he have to kiss me? I thought I was over it when he left but then he came back and just... Argh, damn him and his stupid kiss... And his great sense of humour and his boyish charm and his toned body and his handsom-. Wait, what the fuck?! You're doing it again, April! Just forget about him! Remember, you're all business now. There's only one guy for you right now and he's Nacho, ok!"_ AJ's mind was working overtime as she debated within herself. One thing was for sure, she dreaded the day she would go bowling with Punk.

* * *

**~Review~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

Simply put: **the bowling chapter**. It's much longer than usual so **sorry** to those who hate long chapters. I just wrote and wrote and wrote and only realised how long it was when I finished. I thought of breaking it up into two chapters but I felt that it's more fitting to complete it at one go. In case you guys get lost while reading, I added frame numbers to help you keep track somewhat lol. Anyways, enjoy… hopefully! *crosses fingers*

Oh yeah, and since I'm kinda new to this, I think it's high time I acknowledge the reviews you guys give. You guys not only made the effort and time (a lot of time considering how long my chapters usually are, _especially this one_) to read my story but also to write a review on it. Thus, I'll be putting the best review in my opinion from the previous chapter at the top of each chapter so look out for the past chapters, your review might be in it :D

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 4 is from...  
**

**DoubleDee068**

"_that made me laugh poor aj she was distracted by the great...uhhh thing between a guys legs xD oh lord im surprised punk didn't think about it more "..maybe she saw a big bug... aj is afraid of bugs" OMG that made me laugh so hard..poor clueless punk.._

_I love how E and Kaitlyn tease her its too adorable..but yeah aj time to suck it up.. I don't want her being a cheater... or labeled one... lets hope e and Kaitlyn can keep this to themselves"_

* * *

_**17 August 2013**_

AJ met up with Kofi and Fandango at the lobby of the hotel they were staying at for the weekend for Summerslam. She had an interesting couple of weeks where her daydreaming of Punk became the norm and she was finding it hard to stay in the same room as him for fear of doing something embarrassing and foolish. When she arrived at the lobby, she was surprised to not see Punk there.

"Where's Phil?" she asked Fandango who was very distinct in his fashion sense for the day.

"Fetching the bus," the light footed wrestler answered.

"The bus?"

"Guys!" Punk shouted loudly from behind them and in doing so, attracted the attention of the receptionist and other guests in the lobby, "C'mon!"

"Welp, let's go then before he alerts the rest of the hotel," Kofi snickered as he got off the sofa he was sitting on. All three of them joined Punk and walked out of the hotel where his tour bus was waiting.

"We're taking your bus?" AJ asked. She had never been in his bus before and she was quite excited at what lay inside it.

"Yup, you got a problem with that?" Punk replied.

"No! I just thought we were gonna get there using a rental," she said hurriedly.

"Nah, why spend money on a car when we have this bad boy, and it's free."

"Wow, I guess the rumours about you are true."

"What rumours?" he asked, wanting to know what she knew.

"That he's a pain in the ass," Kofi intervened, giving Punk a smirk.

"Oh, I already know that. Just that people say you're very good with your money," she clarified.

"Meh, I just don't spend on frivolous things, you know? All I need in my life are comics, video games, movies and food. That's really all I ever spend on," all of those were things that AJ could not live without as well. It was amazing to her how many interests they shared.

"Comics, video games, movies and food? That sounds awesome. But what about clothes?"

"Ehh, I'll buy them once in a while but I really don't care about how I look to be honest," he replied, looking back at her.

"Clearly, this is the same guy who wears a shirt and a pair of jeans to red carpet premieres, April," Kofi said, causing Fandango to snicker.

"What are you laughing about twinkle toes? You're wearing those and you wanna laugh at me? I mean, what in god's name are you wearing?" Punk asked, pointing to the bright pink, floral pants Fandango wore, causing AJ to giggle.

"I don't know what you're talking about. They're cool, ok? It's the summertime, so what's more summer than Hawaiian pants?" Fandango hit back, walking with even more swagger.

"I gotta agree with Phil for once, those are just a hot mess," Kofi chuckled.

"No, they're hot pants," all of them, except for Fandango, groaned in unison as they arrived at the door of Punk's bus.

"Anyways, welcome to casa de la Punk," Punk introduced them to his bus. He held the door open for AJ who entered the vehicle first.

"Whoa, it's huge!"

"That's what she said," Punk said, high-fiving both Kofi and Fandango after they climbed the stairs and entered the bus.

"Ugh, damn it, I got suckered into it. I'll get you back, Punk," she promised as she took a seat on the long couch.

"Heh, I'd love to see you try. I usually don't slip up," he smirked, sitting down beside her as Kofi and Fandango sat across one another at the seats at the dining table.

"We'll see, I usually have the last laugh, just like how I'll have the last laugh when we feud together once again," she claimed confidently.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Punk was perplexed. He had no idea what she apparently knew.

"Well, apparently, you said you wanna have another feud with me during your Q&A last week, so maybe we should have one again someday. Oh, and by the way, I get mentioned in your Q&A's a lot, huh?" she smiled giddily to him.

"Don't flatter yourself, short stuff. My fans just happen to be obsessed with you, and that answer I gave got me into a whole lot of trouble," he admitted as he rubbed his forehead with his hand.

"Huh? How so?"

"Amy was in the crowd and she wasn't too pleased with how I said it."

"How did you say it? I mean, I just got told about it by a fan on twitter. I don't know all the details," she revealed as her interest was piqued by this newfound discovery.

"Ok, so this guy, a smark no less-"

"How did you know he was a smark?" AJ interrupted him, sitting upright.

"Oh, he kept calling me and some of the other wrestlers by our real names," he revealed while shaking his head.

"Awww, was Punkybear mad someone called you Phillip?" this caused Kofi and Fandango to snigger as she embarrassed him twice in that one sentence by calling him 'Punkybear' and 'Phillip'.

"Ha-ha, very funny. As I was saying, the guy asked me something about who would I want to feud with among the current roster so I said Dean Ambrose... And then I said your name," he divulged as he got up and took a bottle of water from the kitchen counter nearby. He then returned to sit across of AJ.

"Well that doesn't sound too bad."

"Yeah... Well I kinda... May have mentioned... How I didn't say your name originally since it would be highly inappropriate," he admitted hesitantly before taking a sip of water. The truth was that Punk could not control his mouth and blabbed out what he was thinking and just like his last Q&A, all he had on his mind was AJ.

"Still, that isn't... Wait a minute... You inconsiderate jerk! You were basically insinuating me having sex with you, weren't you?! No wonder Amy got mad!" she cried as she slapped Punk on the arm forcefully.

"Owww! Ok, how the hell do you girls just instantly link it to sex, huh? You don't think I said that maybe because us guys aren't allowed to lay a finger on you girls in the ring? It is after all a PG show," he reasoned with her but he knew she had already seen through his ruse.

"Oh please, don't try to play the chivalry card with me. You were totally talking about wrestling my clothes off instead of actual wrestling and in that case, I refuse to then have any sort of feud with you in the future... Pervert," she declared as she crossed her arms and scooted herself on the couch away from him.

"Well fine by me, I'd rather work with a guy who deserves a push than work with a diva like you anyways," he conceded, pointing at her when he mentioned the word 'diva'.

"Well I'd rather get de-pushed than get in bed with the likes of you. I feel sorry for Amy, having to deal with you 24/7 and all."

"Same here," Kofi added.

"Ditto," Fandango agreed with them as well.

"You're taking her side?!" he looked at the both of them in complete disbelief. He was utterly flabbergasted that his own friends were siding against him.

"Hey, you love making these types of suggestive jokes and this one just happened to be insensitive considering your girlfriend was right there in the same room," Kofi explained, earning nods from both AJ and Fandango.

"See, even they agree with me," AJ added once more as they all ganged up on Punk.

"Gah, you guys are no fun. Remind me to not bring any of you to one of these again," he said coldly as the bus stopped in its tracks which meant that they had arrived at the bowling alley.

* * *

"Wow, we have this place all to ourselves," AJ commented, looking around the place which was devoid of people. Instead, cameras and lighting filled the room. After exchanging pleasantries with Chris' team which included himself, Matt Mira, Matt Cohen and Ron Funches, both teams went on to have a big group photo taken.

"Ok everyone, pick up a ball and do whatever pose you'd like with it. Just go crazy with it and have fun," the photographer said.

"You sure you can carry that?" Punk asked AJ who had just picked up the red bowling ball from the rack.

"Yes I can, Phil. I'm not that weak," she insisted as she joined him, Kofi and Fandango in front of the camera.

"Still, gimme it. I have a great idea of what we can do," Punk maintained, holding out his free hand.

"Erm, I dunno... This seems rather suspicious. Plus, I've grown rather fond of this ball," AJ said, caressing the ball even though she had only been with it for mere seconds.

"Well don't worry, your friend will still be close to you," Punk assured before taking the ball from her.

"Now what am I supposed to do? I feel kinda empty," she held out her barren hands.

"Here, just get in the front," Kofi and Fandango snickered to themselves.

"You think you're so funny with the jokes, huh?" she folded her arms while scrunching up her face somewhat.

"I know I am," Punk confirmed confidently as he rested the balls against the sides of his body with his hands keeping them from dropping down.

"Anymore wise cracks from you and you'll be wishing I wasn't so short when my elbow hits you right in the plums," she threatened, bringing out the 'ooo's from Kofi and Fandango.

"Ok, ok, fine. No more jokes, I swear. Now can you just stand in front of me?"

"Fine, but something tells me I'll regret this though," she admitted as she positioned herself in front of him.

"I'm sure you won't," Punk lied, smirking to the guys. He had an evil plan in his head and AJ was none the wiser.

"Ok guys, pose for the camera," the photographer called out. Just as he did so, Punk brought the balls up from his sides and quickly covered AJ's chest with them, forming two giant boobs with them.

"Quick! Take the picture!" Punk called out, holding her in place with the balls.

"Phil!" Everyone laughed at the sight. AJ, meanwhile, regretted ever trusting this man.

"Haha well that certainly is a shot. Say cheese," the photographer exclaimed again, forcing AJ to remain in that position for that shot.

"You're so dead, Phil," she said through gritted teeth softly but loud enough for Punk to hear as they all smiled for the camera which let out a white flash seconds later.

"Ok, one more shot, everyone. Smile!" Punk noticed AJ's elbow moving slowly closer and closer to his groin area.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Punk warned.

"Oh, and why not?" Both were saying this while still holding their smiles and looking at the camera.

"Oh, I dunno, my fingers could just slip and you might have to say goodbye to one or two of your toes," he teased menacingly to her.

"You evil bastard," she spat in response.

"Why thank you. Two can play this game, April," he took pleasure when people insulted him and AJ was no different.

"You win this round, Punk," she said, popping the 'P' in 'Punk' before another blinding flash left the camera.

"Ok, we got a great shot, guys. Thanks and have fun!" the photographer announced before releasing them to their seats.

"Ok, now get your hands off me!" she asserted.

"My hands aren't touching you, the balls are," he corrected her as a smirk came over his face. He was starting to get on her nerves by being such a witty smart-ass.

"Fine then, get your balls off me!" she immediately realised what she had just said and regretted it.

"That's what-"

"Damn it!" she shrieked in regret, preventing him from completing his sentence.

"I told you, I'm too good at this. You're just too easy, April," he said as he finally released her from his embrace.

"Ugh, whatever," she said as she shuffled her feet to the seat next to Kofi's. Not five seconds later, the red plastic seat beside her squeaked.

"You're sitting beside me?"

"Of course, it's fun annoying you," he stated, giving her a smug look before turning his attention to his phone.

_"Argh, this was the last thing I needed, him beside me... And the worst thing is he's being an annoying piece of shit today. But ummm… Is it just me or does he look more and more like Wolverine? It's actually a great look on him and his shirt today is so tight, his body is... Mmmm... April! Control yourself! But his arms... I've never noticed he has that much muscle and the tattoos... They look so different up close... So mesmerising..._" AJ's mind wandered as she took a peek at Punk's body while he was distracted by whatever he was doing on his phone.

"Oh god..." she muttered softly by accident, totally lost at the sight of his body.

"What did you say?" Punk asked as he faced her. AJ's eyes widened in surprise. She had just said it out loud and Punk actually managed to pick it up.

"Uhh-"

"Hey guys, we wanna put in some first person shots and video so we'd appreciate it if you could use this GoPro at times," Chris interrupted after he walked over to where Punk was sitting. AJ was relieved that Chris came over as this meant she could avoid answering Punk's question.

"Sure Chris, no prob," Punk assured, taking the small camera from Chris.

"Thanks and good luck guys," he said, casting his eye quickly at all the members of team WWE.

"Luck's for losers," both Punk and AJ said at the same time. Realizing what just happened, they turned to each other and gave a small smile to one another. Both their cheeks were shaded lightly with a hint of pink before Fandango interrupted their, for a lack of a better word, eye-fucking.

"Well let's try out this bad boy. Let's take another group pic," Fandango said, taking a seat on the other side of Punk.

"Oh, ok, sure," Punk snapped out of his gazing at AJ and held up the GoPro in front of them, turning it around so that the camera lens would be facing them. Seeing as the camera shot was likely not big enough to fit them all, they all huddled up close to one another. What surprised Punk was when AJ literally cuddled up to him and rested her head slightly on his shoulder. Looking down at her, he could not help but feel happiness and warmth with her so close to him. Before he got too distracted, he lifted his head up slightly and took the picture, successfully getting all of them in the shot on the first try.

"Well that's a keeper," Punk commented as they all looked at the finished product on the camera.

"Sure is," AJ glanced back at him for a moment, once again resuming their eye-fucking session.

* * *

**_Frame 1_**

"Hey Punk, you're up next," Chris called out after Ron had gotten a gutter ball.

"This is gonna be a breeze," Punk said as he got off his seat. However, once he reached the bowling rack, he instead got on all fours before straightening his body. He subsequently went to do clapping push ups on the hardwood flooring of the bowling alley, drawing 'whoa's from team 'Nerdist'.

"Err, what's he doing?" AJ asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I dunno, I guess this is how he warms up," Kofi chuckled as he too watched Punk have a mini workout. AJ, on the other hand, was growing weak at the knee by his actions. It was as if he had put a spell on her, making her lost in his trance.

_"Oh help me god, he's clapping in mid-air while doing push ups! Really?! That's so hot... And look at that ass of his just jiggle every time he lands... Wow, is he ever gonna stop? I think that's ten already. Just stop, stop doing this to me you asshole," _AJ thought as she bit her bottom lip and continued admiring him doing push ups.

"We don't have all day, Punk. Just bowl already," AJ said after Punk did five more push ups, feeling frustrated that he did not look like he was stopping anytime soon.

"I'm just getting my arms loose. Chill mom," he mocked before getting back to his feet and picking up a ball. He proceeded to throw the ball at the pins, resulting in him hitting all of the pins bar one.

"Argh, so close," he said, walking back to the rack.

"You missed one," AJ pointed it out to him, mocking him this time around.

"Thanks captain obvious," he gave her a fake smile and picked up his ball again.

"But say your final farewell to it 'cause it'll be gone in a sec," he confidently said as he bounced the ball off the crook between his bicep and his forearm and caught it with his hands.

This earned him a string of 'oh's and 'whoa's with AJ's being the most distinct, "C'mon!"

"Ahhhhhh!" Punk cried out in joy while balling his right fist up after another roll resulted in him knocking the last pin down.

* * *

**_Frame 2_**

"I honestly can't take him seriously with that god awful hat," Punk commented, causing AJ to break out into giggles. Making her laugh was becoming one of his favourite things to do and he decided to continue to try to do so when he went to give Fandango a pep talk. AJ tried her hardest to contain her laughter as Punk took off Fandango's 'Smooth Criminal'-esque plain white hat and whispered encouraging words to his ear behind the hat. Once he was done, he gave him a firm slap to the butt to which AJ responded by covering her face, trying to hide her laughing form. In the end, it actually worked out for Fandango as he managed to get a strike.

When it was AJ's turn though, she was in the midst of picking up her ball when she felt a figure heading towards her. It was none other than CM Punk himself and no one knew his intentions, except for AJ of course.

"No spanking!" she warned him in a rush after turning around to face him, holding up a finger at him and stopping him in his tracks. Punk simply threw his hands up in defeat and turned around. He walked back to his seat, knowing full well he had been found out and losing all purpose of getting up in the first place. This was met with raucous laughter from Chris and his team as they looked on at Punk who had just collapsed back onto his seat feeling defeated.

"Nice try, bro," Fandango patted him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, fuck, I was so close," Punk chuckled as he looked back at AJ who was about to bowl for the first time today.

_"Damn it! How did she know? Actually... Thank god she stopped me. What was I thinking trying to slap her on the butt? Amy would've gone ape shit nuts if she saw that," _Punk thought to himself.

_"Spanking? Spanking?! For fuck's sake, you couldn't have said slapping or something else which sounds less suggestive. This is what happens when your mind is so full of dirty thoughts about him," _AJ cursed herself in her mind before rolling the ball at the pins.

"Shit! Gutter ball," she spat, returning to the rack to collect her ball again.

"You're probably regretting not wanting to get spanked just now, huh?" Punk teased.

"Just because it worked for Curtis, doesn't mean it would've worked for me," she clarified as she held the ball with her fingers.

"Guess we'll never know now, will we?" he teased once more.

_"Ugh, he's giving me that stupid smirk again. Maybe I should throw this ball at his face... Nah, that'll ruin his perfect face... Shit! I did it again!" _AJ thought before turning around to face the pins and try her luck again.

* * *

**_Frame 5 (Punk's Turn)_**

"It's your turn again," AJ informed Punk.

"Hmmm, Chris is getting a bunch of strikes. I'm gonna try and use his ball and hope his luck rubs off on me," Punk said before going to the bowling rack. As Punk was bending down to pick up Chris' ball, he noticed that he could not fit his fingers into it.

"I would use your ball," Punk started, lifting the ball up with both his hands.

"Nooooooo!" Chris wailed, getting off his seat.

"Ohhhhhhh!" AJ exclaimed in a warning tone at the same time as Chris.

"My fingers don't fit in the hole," Punk mocked as he only managed to fit his fingertips into the red and black marble-patterned ball. In the meantime, AJ lost it again as she bent forward in laughter at his dirty joke with her hair dropping down and covering her face as a result. At that point, two things were clear: Punk was a master at innuendos and making AJ laugh.

* * *

**_Frame 5 (AJ's Turn)_**

"April, you're up. Try to at least hit one pin this time," Punk taunted her, nudging her side.

"Jerk," she spat as she got up and headed to collect her ball.

"You could try using two hands. That might help you to aim better," Kofi suggested comfortingly.

"See, that's how you encourage your teammates, you ass," she hissed back at Punk while picking up her ball.

"Well I'm the captain so somebody's gotta show some tough love. Now go and get us a strike... Or even a pin, just get something, ok?" AJ rolled her eyes before she turned to face the pins. She bent down and released the ball using both her hands. She stayed in that forward bending position as if to will the ball to stay center. Punk, meanwhile, was watching on with great interest but not at the ball, rather her behind.

_"Oh c'mon! She's such a tease and I'd bet she doesn't even know she's doing it. That ass... And those thighs... Oh fuck they're just... Fuckkkkkk! And to top it all off, she's wearing skinny jeans! Her ass is just so perfect, so tight and round and-. Crap, she's turning around, look down before she catches you staring!" _Punk thought to himself before he looked down in a snap.

"In five minutes that might hit something," she said turning back to her team before glancing back and looking at where the relatively slow-moving ball was going. Unfortunately for her, it was yet another depressing gutter ball.

"That didn't help anything at all!" she pointed out to Kofi while opening her arms out in distress.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah Kofi, great help there," Punk gave Kofi an 'OK' gesture with his fingers. Even though Punk was being sarcastic, he actually was glad Kofi gave her that advice. He ended up getting treated to a mini show which he enjoyed very much, too much in fact.

* * *

**_Frame 7 (Punk's Turn)_**

"Pay attention to me!" Punk roared at Chris. It became a running joke that ever since the 'Nerdist' team paid no attention to Punk when he was bowling, he could only bowl terribly, just as bad as AJ in fact.

"I am-. I can't see anything!" Chris hollered back while shaving his beard to look like that of Punk's Wolverine-like beard.

"Pay attention to me!" he roared again as the veins on his neck started to pop out and his face became as red as a tomato.

"I'm shaving!" Chris still did not look at him, preferring to look at the ceiling instead. AJ was once again bent over in laughter, covering her face once more. Four simple words yet somehow Punk had managed to make her laugh for the umpteenth time. It was how he said it rather than what he said this time around. At this rate, she was bound to get the hiccups with all the laughing she had been doing.

"You ok?" Fandango asked. He himself was also struggling to contain his giggles. He was not struggling as much as AJ though.

"Y-yeah, I-I'm fine. Oh man," she said as she wiped a tear that had fallen from her eyes. As she looked back at Punk, he released the ball again and just like his last try, he came up empty. While Punk reacted by jumping up and down in anger and frustration like a kid who was denied his favourite toy, AJ responded with a shrill cry in disbelief.

"Are you doing this on purpose? You were bowling so well just now," AJ quizzed Punk after he returned to his seat.

"Why would I want to do it on purpose? They're catching up now," he said, pointing to the screen above them which displayed the scoreboard.

"Oh, so you just suck?"

"This coming from a girl who can barely hit one," he hit back, snickering at her.

"Hey, I know I'm bad. I'm just taking comfort in knowing that you're now the second worst bowler on this team," she stated. She was not wrong though. He was in fact now the second worst on the team. A team where he was the captain. His score was only better than AJ's due to the good start he had and the fact that AJ could not bowl to save her life.

"Heh, cute," he responded sarcastically. For once, he had no witty comeback to fall on because what AJ had said was completely and utterly true.

* * *

**_Frame 7 (AJ's Turn)_**

"Guys, the nachos have arrived," Matt Mira announced.

All three of the guys on team WWE immediately stood up as if they were about to receive a grand award. They all shuffled their feet quickly to the counter nearby where their nachos lay. AJ, on the other hand, was just about to bowl when she looked back and noticed the empty seats.

"Really?! Nachos?!" she shouted at the three of them.

"Don't worry about us, just bowl as per normal. We'll just be over here supporting you while eating," Punk replied after taking a bite of his nachos.

_"See April, he doesn't care about you. All he cares about are those damn nachos! Forget him!" _AJ thought. She turned back to the pins and after letting the ball go, for once she actually managed to hit more than one pin, five to be exact. Her annoyance at him somehow gave her the will to hit the target. Either that or she finally managed to concentrate on the pins instead of getting distracted by the thoughts of him. Pleased at her effort, she sat back down where she was greeted with emptiness and loneliness.

"I've never seen three men lose interest in a girl so fast," Matt commented. AJ merely responded with a single shrug of the shoulders while throwing her hands up in the air. On the outside, she was putting on a brave face by smiling but inside, she was a little jealous and upset that Punk was paying more attention to the nachos out of all things. After a couple of minutes of literally devouring his plate of nachos, Punk turned back and saw AJ just sitting all by herself. He left the counter and headed to the seat beside her.

"Hey, you hungry?"

"Nah, I'm good," she replied, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Are you sure? We haven't eaten lunch yet, you know," he told her in concern.

"It's ok, really. I had a heavy breakfast this morning, that's all."

"C'mon, the nachos are really tasty. You sure you don't want some? I mean for crying out loud, you named your dog after it. Are you really gonna pass up on it?" Punk laughed, trying to entice her to eat some food.

"I-" she started before he interjected.

"Does the princess need me to feed her the nachos by hand just so that she'll eat something?" Punk said teasingly.

_"Did he just call me princess? He did, didn't he?! Oh my god! And look, he's even offering to feed me! Ugh, just when I thought I can forget about him, he reels me back in with this crap. Calm. Down. C'mon, be cool, April," _AJ hoped she was not blushing but in reality, she was.

"Ugh, ok fine," she finally succumbed to his persuasion while trying to play it cool. They then made their way to the counter and once there, AJ rested her chin on her propped up upright arm on the table.

"Ahem."

"What?" Punk asked in confusion. AJ responded by simply pointing with her free hand at her open mouth.

"You really want me to feed you?!" Punk was in total shock. After all, he was just joking about the whole feeding thing.

"Hey, you offered it and I accepted! So pay up! I could just go back and sit down..." Her voice trailed away.

"Hmph, you're a princess alright. But since I don't want to get in trouble with Vince and Steph when they find out their top diva is unconscious from a lack of food..." Punk picked up with one of his hands one of the tortilla chips which was holding small pieces of chicken and was dripping with cheese, "Here you go."

_"Crap! I was just kidding! He's actually going through with this! What do I do?! Quick! His hand is coming! Argh, just open your mouth, you know you want to..." _AJ pondered before she obliged willingly, opening her mouth out wide and accepting his hand and food that lay on it. When the chip was mostly in her mouth, she closed her mouth to welcome the food entirely but she did it too fast before Punk could completely escape with all his fingers. As a result, his fingers were stained with the wetness of her lips as they left her mouth. At that instant, both of them blushed profusely. Punk blushed because of the fact that he probably lingered at the entrance of her mouth for too long while AJ blushed because she had essentially sucked on his fingers. Deep down though, they both actually enjoyed the taste of each other. After chewing and swallowing the food, she found the nachos to be very delicious. It certainly helped that it had the added taste of CM Punk.

"Mmmm this nachos..."

"You like it?"

"Mhmm, you mind if I have some more?" she pointed to the nachos on the table.

"Nope, not at all. Dig in... Or do I still have to feed you again?" he smiled nervously. Truthfully, he would not mind doing it again but his awkwardness around her would probably have resulted in more embarrassment for him.

"Uhhh thanks but I'll do it myself. I was just joking with you at first but I didn't expect you to actually do it," AJ laughed dryly and proceeded to give him a light kiss on the cheek, "So there, that's for being so nice to me. Amy is a lucky girl."

As AJ was busy munching on the Mexican delicacy, Punk felt the cheek she kissed with his hand. It was so warm and soft and he could only just smile in sheer happiness. He was falling for her, hard.

* * *

**_Frame 8_**

"Hey, I got an idea. Jump on my back," Punk suggested to AJ.

"What?!"

"C'mon, it'll be fun. You finally get to feel tall," Punk teased, causing AJ to squint her eyes at him.

"So you think by insulting me, I'd agree to do it?" it probably was not a smart idea to make fun of her when he was trying to convince her to succumb to his demands.

"Stop being a prissy wuss, I'm offering a free piggyback ride here."

"Oh, so before you were charging people?"

"Yeah, of course. If they break my back, I should get my due compensation. With you, I'll be lucky to even break a sweat," he grinned at her.

"Ugh, fine but what if I fall off?"

"You won't, trust me. I'll go easy," he reassured her once more before she eventually nodded her head.

"Ok, I trust you," she replied before getting up and jumping onto his arched back. Quickly she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist for grip.

"Yeah, master blaster!" Chris chuckled, referring to the 1985 movie 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' as Punk made his way to the bowling balls. Just then, she noticed something peculiar.

_"Err, why do I feel something touching my butt," _AJ briefly thought before she looked down at her posterior.

_"His hands! Oh my god, he's holding me up by my butt! He's basically feeling my ass! Aren't his hands supposed to be around my thighs or knees? Does he know where his hands are? Maybe he doesn't realise it since I'm so short. He doesn't expect my thigh to be that far forward. Or maybe he's so busy concentrating on somehow picking up a ball with one hand and throwing it at the pins that he doesn't realise where his hands are. Should I tell him? But I don't wanna embarrass him... Plus, it feels kinda nice... Argh, what the hell, I'll just go with the flow," _AJ gave it a thought before choosing instead to keep it to herself.

"Hey April."

"Yeah?"

"Can you hang onto my left shoulder instead of my neck? I can't really reach down for the ball, let alone throwing it," Punk chortled, finding it harder to do this than he imagined.

"Oh, sure," she readjusted herself accordingly and she now had her arms wrapped around his shoulder with her left arm below his armpit meeting her right which was draped over his shoulder.

"Ah, much better. Thanks," he said as he picked up the ball from the rack, "Hang tight now."

As Punk was throwing the ball, he realised at mid-throw that he was going to fall down if he followed through with his release. As such, he quickly released his grip on the ball, not wanting to crash to the ground and bring AJ along for the ride. That was the last thing he wanted to do, hurting AJ. This resulted in another terrible roll from him, earning the solitary pin. Still, it was rather fitting that the two worst bowlers on team WWE managed only one pin collectively. Walking back to their seats, AJ was still on Punk's back so she decided to readjust herself so that she was back to hugging his neck with her arms. This position was much safer for her and to be honest, it was much more comfortable for her.

"Ok, suddenly someone's not so good with a live person on their back," the other Matt, Matt Cohen, teased, causing both their cheeks to burn red once again. Before eventually putting AJ down, Punk jolted his body, causing AJ to jump up slightly on his back.

"Ah! Phil!" she shrieked while giggling at the small ride she had just experienced.

"Relax, I got you," he turned his head to glance back at her in the corner of his eye, giving her the warmest smile she had ever seen to which she returned in kind. She was so afraid of falling but Punk had a firm grip of her legs and he had bent forward so in the event she lost her hold on his neck, she would have landed back on his back safely. The entire time she was on his back, for her, not once did she feel like she was going to fall. In fact, the fear and thrill of falling off was the reason why she enjoyed it so much. Punk found enjoyment in it as well. She weighed next to nothing and her warm body was a welcome feel to his. It also helped that she was wearing the sweetest smelling perfume he had ever come across. In the end, they both knew they had an enjoyable and fantastic time and no one could take that away from them.

* * *

"Ok, after a very intense match, team WWE 398, team 'Nerdist' 400! We beat you by two pins!" Chris announced in an upbeat tone, revealing his team had miraculously beaten the much athletically superior team of wrestlers. All of team WWE comically hung their heads in disbelief and after a round of congratulations from them to the winning team, Punk was interviewed by Matt Mira on his team's performance since he was the captain after all.

"CM Punk, how do you feel after that match?" Matt asked into a toy microphone.

"I think any good coach would take responsibility for this. It's exactly why I'm gonna pin it on the three people on my team. It clearly wasn't my fault," Punk said, pushing all the blame to his teammates.

"What a great captain we have," AJ declared sarcastically when Punk was walking back to his seat, getting ready to pack up for the day.

"I know right, if only the crew was just as great," he sighed while shaking his head. This was met with a little punch to his arm from her.

"I'm kidding! At least we didn't lose by much."

"Yeah, I guess it was close but we're gonna get slaughtered by the rest of the locker room, you know that?" AJ predicted as Kofi and Fandango joined them.

"Yeah, can we destroy the recorded footage? Mike and Nick are gonna harass me endlessly 'cause of this, no doubt," Kofi lamented. The Miz and Dolph were definitely not shy to poke fun at their fellow co-workers and this would be perfect ammunition for them.

"I don't care, at least I looked fabulous," Fandango complemented himself proudly while adjusting his hat so that the front covered part of his eyes.

"Yeah, you're definitely not gonna get made fun of alright," Punk chuckled sarcastically.

"Anyways, y'all wanna go grab a bite to eat? I'm still hungry," Kofi asked as he ran circles on his stomach with the palm of his hand.

"Yeah, me too," Fandango added.

"Count me out, I wanna rest before my match with Brock tomorrow," Punk said as he finished packing up his stuff into his black sling bag.

"I need to get back to the hotel too. Me and some of the girls are going for dinner together later," AJ revealed.

"Welp, I guess it's just you and me, Curtis," Kofi put an arm around Fandango.

"Yeah, there's this nice little place downtown. Wanna go there?" Fandango suggested.

"Sure, I don't even know what food they serve and I don't really care. I'm that hungry," Kofi chuckled as he retrieved his bag from behind his seat.

"Great, see you guys later then," Fandango said as he and Kofi waved goodbye to Punk and AJ as they made their way out of the bowling alley. After saying their final goodbyes to Chris and his team, Punk and AJ headed out of the place as well and into the parking lot where Punk's bus was waiting.

"I'm really glad you invited me, it was really fun," AJ said.

"No prob, I had a great time too and who knows, maybe there'll be another chance to beat them."

"Well if there is, you probably shouldn't pick me again then. I totally sucked just now. We would've won if I wasn't on the team," AJ admitted while chuckling to herself.

"Meh, I'd likely pick the same team, except maybe without Curtis. His hat and pants just distracted me too much," he said, causing AJ to laugh.

"Plus, I don't really care about winning to be honest. It's for charity anyways so there are no real losers. I just wanna have a good time and that means joking around with you and my other friends. I'd hate to be surrounded with 'A plus' bowlers who I can't stand," he reassured as he opened the door for her to climb the steps of his bus first.

"Thanks," AJ smiled sweetly to him before she greeted the bus driver. When she entered the 'living room' of the bus, she plopped herself onto the long couch. Just like Punk, she was feeling worn out and just wanted to rest in bed.

"You look tired," Punk noted before collapsing onto the seat at the small dining table.

"So do you," she snickered back at him.

"Meh, that's normal. Even when I'm as fresh as a daisy, I still can come off looking tired. Anyways, if you really need a little rest, feel free to lie on the couch. Mi casa es su casa."

"Wow, your Spanish isn't that bad. Better than mine anyways," she giggled.

"I highly doubt that, Latina."

"So I really can rest here?" AJ asked, pointing with her finger to the couch she was sitting on.

"Yup, I don't mind. I do it myself anyways so knock yourself out," he assured her once more before she decided to lie flat on her back on the couch.

"Wow, this isn't that bad. Actually, it's quite nice. No wonder you're always camped up in here instead of the locker room," she laughed before she closed her eyes, trying to get some much needed rest.

"_Wow, even without a lot of makeup on, she's still so beautiful. She literally looks like sleeping beauty… If sleeping beauty wore skinny jeans and sneakers,"_ Punk chuckled to himself as he admired her beauty. Feeling a little sleepy himself, he shut his eyes as well, lying back on the cushioned seat. A couple of minutes later and his eyes shifted from the darkness of total emptiness to the hazel orbs which belonged to the Divas' Champion.

"Phil, sorry to wake you but I'm really thirsty and the water in my bottle's all gone. You got any water here?" she asked, her doe eyes in full effect as Punk's started recovering and adjusting to the surroundings.

"Yeah, erm, cabinet to the left of the microwave," Punk replied while rubbing his eyes.

"Thanks, sorry for waking you up again," she gave him a warm smile before heading towards the kitchen counter.

"It's fine, really," he said as he watched AJ arrive at the counter and reach for the cabinet. As she did so, her shirt lifted up, revealing her jeans-covered ass. The mischievous side of Punk came alive as an idea popped up in his head. Knowing his window of opportunity was short, he quickly got up off the seat and ran towards her. Not breaking his running stride one bit, he slapped her ass and continued his way to his room.

"Ah! Phil!" she screamed in surprise when she felt the sharp sting to her butt, "Come back here you asshole!"

Punk laughed as he overheard her screeching calls and swiftly sat on the edge of the bed once he reached his bedroom, protecting his behind from any danger.

"You!"

"Yes?" Punk innocently replied. His grin was as large as it had ever been.

"What was that for?!" she roared at him, catching a little of her breath after the short sprint to his room.

"Well, since you didn't let me do it at the game just now, I thought this would make up for it," he explained himself, trying to keep a straight face while doing so.

"Ok, since we're playing that 'eye for an eye' game, then let me slap your butt."

"Nope," he responded simply, much like the Dean Ambrose 'nope' meme.

"I'm giving you three seconds, Punk. Your ass. Here. Now," she warned while pointing to the palm of her right hand before pointing to the ground.

"You can't make me," a reply that was so child-like that it would have amused AJ if she was not so angry at him right now.

"Three... Two..." she counted down but Punk did not offer any hint of moving anytime soon, "One!"

Bam! The same right palm she pointed to had instead stung him flush on the cheek, causing him to fall off the bed. Dazed, he held his cheek with one of his hand and slowly got back up only to be met with just as hard a slap to his buttocks this time around.

"April!" he shouted out after she fled the bedroom and headed to the front of the bus. Punk quickly took after her, still holding onto his cheek. When he did see AJ again, she was sitting upright, resting her back against the cushioned ends of the couch and lying her legs flat on the couch. She had her bottom protected but that still did not stop Punk from joining her on the couch. He was still standing upright, just that he now had only his right leg bent and lying on the couch. She was cornered and worried about what he was planning to do.

"W-what are you gonna do?" she asked nervously as he slowly bent his body forwards to her.

"Something that'll make you regret ever touching my cheeks," he said slowly which AJ found very seductive. Instead of feeling scared, she was feeling aroused and she tried desperately to not let that show. Before she felt like she was on the verge of wetting herself as he came closer and closer, she was brought out of her fantasy dreams when she felt fingers connecting with her sides and tickling her endlessly. She did in the end wet herself; she wetted her face with tears as Punk just continued tickling her.

"P-P-Phi-i-il, s-s-stop! P-P-Ple-eas-e-e!" she begged, stuttering in uncontrollable laughter.

"Not until you say sorry," Punk chuckled, still not breaking the movements of his hands. He could not help but laugh along seeing AJ struggle to answer his question. Her flailing arms and legs were of no use as he was just too strong for her.

"F-F-Fine, I-I'm sor-r-r-ry-y!" instantly his hands stopped moving but they still lay on her sides. After regaining her composure and wiping away some of the tears, her brown eyes met the mossy green ones of his once more. Their smiles slowly faded away as they stared at each other for what seemed like hours. AJ started to shift her gaze to his lips. He mirrored the movement of her eyes as they now just stared at each other's lips lustfully.

"_His lip ring is gone? I've never noticed that but… His lips… They're right there though… Should I? No, April! This is wro-" _AJ's thoughts were interrupted when the bus driver sounded the bell, signalling that they had arrived at their destination, the hotel they were staying at.

"Ummm, I-I g-gotta go," she stammered, getting up in a rush.

"Uhh y-yeah, I'll stay here for a bit. I need to finish up some things here," Punk said, getting off of her and allowing her to stand on her own two feet again. In actuality, he just needed an excuse to avoid walking with her to the hotel.

"Umm, thanks for everything, Phil. I'll see you tomorrow," she smiled wryly while tucking some strands of her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, see ya," he returned the smile before she opened the door and exited the bus hastily. Punk collapsed onto the couch and looked up at the ceiling. He was that close to making the same mistake he made four months ago. Slamming the couch with both his fists in frustration, he buried his face in his hands. Looking up, it was then and there that he finally realised and accepted the fact that he was falling in love with AJ. AJ may have left the bus more confused than ever but Punk definitely left knowing who he wanted. All he was worried about now was the repercussions and casualties that lay in wait in front of him.

* * *

**~Review~**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

Hello again, quite simply, this chapter revolves around the **'pipebombshell'** so enjoy! :D

I didn't intend to actually make it as long as the last chapter but ehhhh, you guys liked how long it was so no biggie I guess lol.

***Spoiler Alert***: Something major will happen in the next chapter *giggles*

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 5 is from…**

**cRiMsOnGoDdEsS01**

"_Trust me..no worries about the length! I love lengthy chapters, gives me so much more to squee about. Another great chapter. I'm really liking your characterization and the internal struggle they're going through due to their feelings for each other. It'll make their coming together so much sweeter! hahaha I loved the description of the master blaster, well handled. Once again, I can't wait for the next update and I hope to see more very soon!"_

* * *

_**2 September 2013**_

Punk was busy looking down on his phone replying to a text from Amy. Yup, he still had not broken things off with her. Each time he thought of doing so, he would get cold feet and end up keeping it to himself. He had just come out from the curtains after finishing his promo on Paul Heyman and Curtis Axel when he bumped into a tiny figure.

"Ow! Watch where you're goi-" AJ looked up after crashing into the person, "Oh, Phil."

"Fuck, my ba-. Oh, it's you. I'm sorry, I was distracted," Punk said at the same time after causing the Divas' Champion to fall back a little.

"Nah, it's ok. Nice promo by the way, straight to the point," AJ giggled as she adjusted the Divas' Title on her shoulder.

"Meh, it was alright. Not as good as yours last week though," Punk smirked back at her. He was really impressed by how good of a promo she gave last week. He even labelled it as a 'pipebombshell' on twitter when he finally came across it. When he came up with that title, he hoped no one noticed what he was implying. 'Pipebomb' was self-explanatory since it was similar to the promo he famously cut two years ago on top of the stage while 'bombshell' was what he thought she was. She was a bombshell in his eyes, an absolutely beautiful person inside and out.

"Well that still doesn't hold a candle to your 'pipebomb'," she smiled back at him.

"I wouldn't say that, it was still a damn good promo, definitely the best women's promo ever," he complimented her as he stuffed his phone in his pocket.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it. I wish the rest of the divas are just as supportive as you…" AJ sighed, recalling the aftermath of the promo.

* * *

_***Flashback***_

"Wow, you're not to be messed with, huh?" Stephanie McMahon said as AJ came out from the curtains only to meet her.

"Steph! Oh hi! Didn't expect to see you here," AJ greeted as she rested her Divas' title on her shoulder before giving her boss a warm hug.

"I had to come out from the office and congratulate you. That was a great promo, April. One of the best in recent years, even better than most of the men," Stephanie said after releasing her hold on AJ.

"Thanks but ummm, the girls seemed to be genuinely pissed off just now. Did they know I was going out there?" she asked curiously.

"No, I didn't tell them. I thought it would've been much more organic and real if they didn't know and sure enough, it brought out great reactions from them," Stephanie explained.

"Oh, ok then. Hopefully they didn't get too hurt by what I said."

"Nah, I highly doubt that. They're professionals, they'll understand once I talk to them."

"Ok, thanks a lot, Steph. I know it's not easy to give a woman mic time so I really appreciate what you did for me," AJ gratefully said.

"Don't thank me, thank my dad. He really trusted you with the job and you more than repaid his faith."

"Well then, please tell him 'thank you' for me. I really am grateful for it."

"No problem, I will. Anyways, I gotta go. Keep up the great work, April," Stephanie said before walking off back to her office. Just as she left, AJ felt a tug on her arm from behind, causing her to spin around and face the source of the tug.

"What the hell was that?!" Nikki Bella shouted as the rest of the 'Total Divas' came through the curtains, joining her.

"Girls-" AJ was cut off when the other Bella twin interrupted her.

"Don't you dare talk about our boyfriends like that ever again!" Brie warned in a high pitch voice, clearly pissed at AJ.

"Look, I-" AJ was interrupted once more but this time, Natalya was the source of disturbance.

"Just like you, I got here because I'm good. Hell, I'm better than you in the ring and you wanna just go out there and say I got here because I'm from a famous wrestling family?!" Natalya roared at AJ, causing her to step back a little. It was at this point that every one of the 'Total Divas' let loose on AJ and bombarded her with insults and threats.

"Girls… Please… I… If you just listen to me..." AJ said intermittently as she tried to make her voice heard over all of their loud cries of anger.

"Hey!" a deafening voice jolted everyone, including AJ, to silence, "What's going on here?"

"Ugh, Punk, you have no business being here," Nikki said after turning back to see the straightedge superstar walking towards the group of women.

"Like hell I do! You're all harassing a co-worker. That makes it my business," Punk said firmly as he parted the 'Total Divas' like the red sea and stood in front of AJ with his back facing her.

"Phil, you don't have to," AJ said softly after tugging on his arm to gain his attention.

"No, I do. They're causing a scene and disturbing you. I'd even call it bullying so that makes it a serious matter," Punk reasoned with her as he glared at all the 'Total Divas'.

"C'mon Punk, it's between us and her. Just go away and let us settle our issues," Nikki said, causing Punk to get angrier.

"Settle our issues?! What, were you all gonna trap her in a corner and beat her up or something?!"

"No! Of course not! We just wanna let her know to take us 'Total Divas' seriously. What she said out there was uncalled for," Brie replied in a calmer manner.

"Well, whatever she said out there was in character. That was AJ Lee. Who you're harassing right now is April Mendez, a totally different person, and it too is uncalled for. Please be professionals, ladies," Punk asserted as he casted his eyes at every single one of them.

"Why don't you tell her to be professional?! She's the one who went on a shoot and totally buried us and our show," Cameron responded, pointing at AJ.

"Yeah!" Eva added loudly. This caused Punk to instantly turn his head in Eva's direction. He then squinted his eyes and shook his head slightly while holding up his empty hands.

"Uhh, who are you again?" Punk asked in complete bafflement as AJ giggled softly to herself. Eva instantly became silent until Nikki spoke up again.

"She's a 'Total Diva'."

"The way you ladies are acting, you're all total divas."

"Why I oughtta-" Nikki said before she tried to launch herself at Punk, only to be stopped by her fellow cast members.

"Look, we don't want any trouble here, ok?" Natalya started as she held onto Nikki's waist, "We'll leave. Just tell your little friend over there that we'll be having a word with Steph later."

"What? You can't tell her straight to her face?" Punk hit back, stepping aside so that AJ was now fully in the sights of the 'Total Divas'.

"Let's just leave them alone, girls," Naomi suggested before they all finally left the vicinity. A few of them made sure to give AJ the coldest glares as they walked away.

"You ok?" Punk asked in concern, turning to face her.

"Yeah, thanks for doing that. But like I said just now, you didn't have to," AJ reaffirmed.

"Nonsense, I had to. They looked like they were just tearing into you. It was what, six or seven against one?" Punk noted, struggling to remember the exact number of divas that were bothering AJ.

"Yeah…" AJ sighed as she looked in the direction the 'Total Divas' went.

"So what did you say to get them so pissed?"

"Oh, you didn't watch?"

"Err, no... Sorry, I was busy getting checked on by the Doc," Punk rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"Oh yeah, the kendo stick shots," she said, referring to the physical abuse he just received at the hands of Paul Heyman and Curtis Axel.

"Yeah."

"Well then, so basically, I came out after their match was done and cut a promo where I insulted them and their reality show. I said that Nattie only got here 'cause she's from a famous wrestling family, I mocked Nikki's daddy issues and insinuated that the Bellas are sleeping their way to the top and some other stuff I can't really remember," AJ filled Punk in briefly on what just happened.

"Whoa, damn girl, that's just cold."

"Yeah, I know, but I didn't really mean it."

"I know you didn't... So I'm guessing they didn't know you were coming out?"

"Yeah, Steph left that part out to me also," AJ clarified with a sigh.

"Ah, the McMahons, always wanting to make money no matter who gets hurt," Punk mocked, causing AJ to look around frantically.

"Don't say that so loud. People might hear you and report you to Vince," AJ said softly, almost in a whisper.

"I don't care. The McMahons don't care about what I think as well," Punk chuckled, not lowering his voice one bit.

"You really do have a love-hate relationship with them, huh?"

"It's mostly hate but as long as I'm making money for them, they'll tolerate me," Punk simply replied with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Well, whatever the case may be, you deserve this for helping me just now," AJ said before wrapping her arms around his midsection. Although on the inside Punk was enjoying the warm hug, his body reacted otherwise.

"Ah!" Punk grimaced as AJ immediately let go of her embrace.

"Sorry. Boy, Paul wasn't easing up on you, was he?" AJ chuckled as he rubbed the bruises on the back which he could reach from under his armpit.

"Heh, nope, and I told him not to. In fact, I told him to hit me as hard as possible," Punk smirked.

"Wow, you're crazy."

"I'd prefer to call it committed. Plus, it made the segment more believable when you see how hard he tried hitting me and how much pain I looked like I was in," he explained as AJ nodded slightly.

"Yeah, it was kinda scary but I guess that's what makes you such a good storyteller," she complimented him while giving him a warm smile.

"You understand me too well, Mendez," Punk returned the smile in kind, "So can I see the promo?"

"I don't know, you have to talk to the tech or film crew that handles all the footages," she said after shrugging her shoulders.

"Awww, damn it. They never show us those footages. Now how am I gonna see your promo?"

"I don't know, you have to catch a re-run of Raw I suppose."

"Well that sucks... Maybe twitter can help me," he suggested to himself while rubbing his chin in deep thought.

"Maybe," AJ said simply, "Anyways, thanks again for helping me just now with them."

"Anytime, short stuff," AJ groaned in response.

"Is that your new nickname for me?"

"Maybe…" Punk drawled out.

"Well I hate it," she poked his stomach playfully.

"Then it's official. Short stuff it is then," he grinned at her after declaring her new moniker.

"Ugh, whatever Punkybear. I gotta go anyways. Go get some ice on that bruised back of yours," AJ suggested in concern before walking away from him.

"Yes I will, mom!" Punk called out to AJ as she walked off to the divas' locker room. AJ merely smiled and shook her head in response. She now hoped everything had settled down among the 'Total Divas'.

_***End of Flashback***_

* * *

"Meh, just ignore them, the more attention you give towards their insults, the more they'll come after you."

"Yeah, you're probably right. Well, it's time to get my ass kicked by the 'Total Divas'," she said, making use of air quotes when mentioning the 'Total Divas'.

"Good luck, try not to get too injured out there," he smirked at her.

"Hmph, they'll probably try," she returned the smirk before heading through the curtains and out to the arena.

_**10 minutes later...**_

"April, good job again. You were great on commentary," Stephanie congratulated AJ, stopping her on her way to the divas' locker room. AJ had just been beaten down by Naomi, Brie and Natalya after she interfered in their triple threat number one contender's match so she was still regaining some of her breath.

"Thanks Steph, couldn't have done it without the support of you and Vince," AJ replied gratefully.

"Hey, don't mention it. Unfortunately, I wanted to talk to you for another reason," Stephanie voiced hesitantly.

"Err, ok... What is it?"

"We gotta drop the personal side of this angle with the 'Total Divas'," Stephanie revealed with a sigh, disappointed herself.

"Huh? You can't be serious?"

"Unfortunately, I am. The 'Total Divas' felt that it got way too personal last week and just want to have an angle where it's purely you seem jealous that you're not on the show."

"The same people that air their personal lives on TV got too hurt when I insulted them on a scripted show?" AJ asked, completely baffled by their reaction.

"Yes, April. We tried telling them that it was going to really attract attention to the divas' division but they had none of it. They don't want to do the follow-up to your promo last week," she informed AJ as AJ let out a sigh in disappointment.

"Do they know it would've meant more TV time for all of us?"

"They knew, but they said just dropping the personal side still meant enough TV time to keep them happy. They're refusing to go through with it so we can't force it on them. I'm sorry, April," Stephanie clarified as AJ's head started to drop.

"It's ok… As long as everyone's happy…" AJ sighed once more, looking down slightly.

"Hey, keep your head up. I think we can still make something out of this," she said encouragingly as she lifted AJ's head softly by her chin.

"I hope so."

"Ok then, it's settled. Have a nice day," Stephanie said, waving to AJ as she walked away.

"You too…" AJ was utterly despondent. She had hoped that this could propel her and the 'Total Divas' to something special but instead, it would be the same old three minutes or so divas' matches. Resuming her walk to the locker room, she was halted when a familiar voice resonated in her ears.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the teacher's pet," Nikki slandered, referring to her constant conversations with Stephanie, as she got off the production crate she had been sitting on, "I presume you happen to be a dog."

"Takes one to know one," AJ snickered back, turning her attentions to the former Divas' Champion.

"Do you wanna fight right here right now, girly?" she asked threateningly as she held both her arms in the air.

"I'm born ready, silicon boobs," AJ countered back firmly as she got in Nikki's face, her eyes not once wavering from hers. Her nostrils started flaring up and the veins on her arms were popping out as she dropped her Divas' Title on the ground, still looking up at Nikki right in her eyes. Even though she was smaller in size, she was not afraid of a fight and she did not care if it got her in trouble.

"Nikki!" Brie called out as her and the rest of the 'Total Divas' ran towards the pair of them.

"Stay out of this, Brie. The little girl wants a fight and a fight is what she'll get."

"Hey, I don't wanna fight but you're forcing me to and trust me, it's gonna be so sweet once I punch you right in that big ass nose of yo-"

"April!" Punk hollered as he ran towards the group of divas.

"Phil, don't. I got this," AJ said as she put a hand up at him to tell him to stop coming towards them.

"Ugh, it's you again. Of course you would defend her. You're always defending her. It wouldn't surprise me if you two have something going on," Nikki said, referring to Punk and AJ.

"What?!" Both Punk and AJ raised their voices in surprise.

"Hey, don't make false accusations around here, ok?" Punk warned as he approached the other half of the Bella Twins.

"I'm not accusing anyone. I'm just pointing out what I see and what I see are you two always hanging out together. Heh, I bet you probably wrote that promo for her," Nikki crossed her arms and smirked at the two of them.

"What?!"

"Yup, that's right. I said it."

"You take that back you bit-" before AJ could complete her sentence, Punk placed a hand quickly over her mouth and quickly got behind her. She tried her best to wriggle out of his grasp, even biting at the palm of his hand but to no avail. She did put up a great fight for someone so small as she forced Punk to hold her flailing arms down by her sides with his free arm, resulting in him basically hugging her with one arm.

"Okaayyyy, I think it's best if you ladies just walk on by before this matter becomes something bigger than what it should be," Punk advised in a warning tone with AJ becoming increasingly fidgety. All of them got the message instantly and walked away with Nikki being the most unwilling. If there was one thing you do not do backstage, it was to piss off CM Punk. Even though Nikki was dating John Cena, she knew better than to pick a fight with Punk.

"Whenever you finally get rid of that boy toy you have over there, I'll be ready anytime, anywhere, girly," Nikki called out after turning back on the spot momentarily.

"Nikki, that's enough!" Brie shouted as she grabbed her by the arm and pulled her twin away. Punk, meanwhile, was struggling to hold onto AJ. She tried everything she could to get out of his hold.

"I know what she said was wrong but I'll only release you once you calm down," Punk whispered to her ear, sending shivers down her spine. She melted in his arms as she finally gave up trying to fight out of his grasp. Not only did he have a hold on her physically, he also had a hold on her mentally. How could someone go from being so angry to being so turned on in a matter of seconds? Since Punk still had the palm of his hand covering her lips, she could only nod when he asked her if she had calmed down. Realising she was okay now, he released her from his grip.

"_No, don't let me go… Let me stay in your arms… Please…" _AJ thought as she turned hesitantly to face him.

"You alright?" Punk asked as she looked at him with her doe eyes.

"Yeah..."

"Did you remember what I said? Just ignore them, especially her," he reminded her.

"I know... But I'm just so sick of her. I just wanna punch that snow white witch-like nose of hers," she said as Punk broke out in giggles.

"I've never noticed that," Punk sniggered as he now compared the images of Nikki and the witch inside his head, "And I never knew a girl like you had the guts to get into confrontations."

"Hey, when you've lived on the cold, hard streets of Union City, nothing much scares you," she said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"I can see that. Just don't do it too often around here. You don't wanna have a bad rep."

"Oh, coming from you?!"

"I'm different, I know I can get away with some things. Plus, I use my powers for good," he grinned at her.

"Is that the Wolverine in you talking?"

"Nah, batman," he replied, his grin unwavering. AJ giggled before she became silent for a moment. She was in the midst of doing some thinking and wondered if it was a good idea to ask him what was on her mind.

"Um, Phil?"

_"This is a bad idea. Don't do it, April," _the voice in her head advised.

"Yeah?"

_"You still got a chance to avoid this. Don't do it!"_

"Do you mind if I hitch a ride with you and Kofi to Smackdown?" AJ asked as she twiddled with her fingers shyly.

_"Oh you little bitch! You just can't resist him, can you?"_

_"Just say no, this isn't gonna end well," _this time the voice in Punk's head spoke up.

"Err, sure," he replied simply as a small smile was etched onto his face.

_"How hard is it to say a word with just two letters, you idiot?! Fucking hell! Damn her and her puppy dog eyes!" _Punk cursed himself in his mind. He just could not say 'no' to her whenever she gave him those innocent eyes of hers. It was like a spell had been cast on him, forcing him to give in to her every wish.

"But why the sudden urge to ride with us?"

"I just don't wanna share a plane with those total bitches, especially Cruella Devil," she admitted honestly and harshly.

"Then why don't you share a rental with Celeste?"

"Well, ever since this whole AJ versus 'Total Divas' angle started, she hasn't been needed so she's not here this week," she informed him, a hint of sadness evident in her voice.

"Oh... What about E?" Punk asked again, this time bringing up Big E.

"He'll be busy partying with some of the other guys tonight before heading out tomorrow. I don't really wanna book a hotel and stay over for the night... What? You don't want me to come along?" AJ frowned after being somewhat interrogated by him. It sounded to her as if he did not want her around.

"No! That's not it. I was just curious, that's all. You're more than welcome on the bus," he said frantically, not realising how he came off while asking her those questions.

_"Oh, now then you say 'no'?! God damn it Phil, she has you wrapped around her finger," _the voice in Punk's head blasted him once again.

"Well thanks," AJ gave him a reassuring smile, "So I'll meet you guys by the bus when I'm done?"

"Sure, just give us a knock and we'll let you in," he said before waving her goodbye and heading back to his bus.

* * *

"Hey man, April will be staying here for the night," Punk said as Kofi climbed up the stairs of the bus.

"You invited her in?" Kofi asked, slightly astonished, before putting his bag down on the seat at the table.

"Nah, she asked if she could tag along. She wants to avoid being around the 'Total Divas' for tonight, especially John's girl."

"Huh? What did Nikki do?" he quizzed Punk as he scooted his bag over towards the window so that he can sit across of Punk.

"I don't know but when I came, the both of them were already butting heads. She did insult my relationship with April, though. Let's just say, she didn't take it too kindly," he chuckled softly, remembering how she reacted to Nikki's snide remarks.

"What did she say?"

"She said that because I apparently always defended April that something is going on between us. She then accused me of writing her promo last week!"

"Well did you?" Kofi asked, arching his eyebrow at him.

"What?! You can't be seriously asking that question?" Punk said in disbelief. Was his best friend really doubting him and believing what Nikki had said instead?

"I'm just saying, I've noticed you two getting closer an-" Kofi tried to reason with him before a knock on the door halted him.

"That's her. Don't bring this up again while she's here, man, she's stressed out as it is," Punk said before getting up from his seat to open the door.

"Hi," she greeted him as she held onto the handle of her rolling suitcase.

"Hey, come on in. Bring your bags along," Punk said before AJ picked up her suitcase and climbed up the steps.

"Oh you didn't have to, Phil. No, I insist," AJ sarcastically played out a conversation where Punk would have helped her with her bags after somehow managing to carry her stuff up the steps.

"I thought you weren't weak and you could do it yourself?" Punk playfully mocked as he returned to his seat.

"Still, it would've been nice if you had offered to help," AJ said as she entered the living room area, "Hey Kofi."

"Nice seeing you again, April. Make yourself at home," Kofi said warmly, turning his head to face her.

"Yeah, just plop your bags on the couch there," Punk pointed to the couch before closing his fist and pointing with his thumb down the hallway of his bus, "Oh yeah, and just walk that way and you'll find four bunks. Choose any one to sleep in except the top left, that's Kofi's."

"Ok cool, thanks a lot again you guys," she said gratefully as she settled her suitcase and sling bag on the couch. She then accompanied her bags by sitting beside them on the couch.

"Don't mention it."

"Yeah," Kofi added.

"Still, let me make it up to you guys. I'll cook you two breakfast in the morning," she offered happily.

"No, you don't have to, really," Punk waved away her offer.

"But I insist, it's the least I can do for letting me stay here for the night."

"Actually, I'm kinda interested to see how good of a cook you are. Just don't burn the food like he usually does," Kofi chuckled as he pointed to Punk.

"I don't burn the food!" Punk denied vehemently, "They just happen to be a little overlooked, that's all."

"So anyways, what do you guys do for fun around here?" AJ asked, looking around the room.

"Well, we have an Xbox, a bunch of movies and stacks of comics. Does any of that sound fun to you?" Punk asked teasingly, knowing all of those things were of great interest to AJ.

"Hell yeah! So what are we gonna be doing then?"

"Well, we were thinking of playing some street fighter. You in?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"Awww, dang it! Now I'm only the second best player in this bus," Kofi spoke up as he slammed his fist lightly on the table.

"Excuse me?" Punk dragged out the 'cuse' in 'excuse' as he looked at Kofi in disbelief.

"What?"

"I'm better than you and you know it. Hell, I beat you 3 times in a row yesterday!"

"One fluky winning streak doesn't make you better than me," Kofi claimed as Punk laughed it off sarcastically.

"We can settle this right now if you want," Punk said in a challenging tone.

"Fine by me, and since I'm such a good sport, I'll even set the game up so you can't use the excuse of being worn out just by having to walk three feet," Kofi said, getting up and heading towards where the game console and TV lay.

"Sure, whatever makes you feel better. I'll be winning anyways so it doesn't matter. In any case, how sure are we anyway that she's better than us?" Punk gestured with his thumb, like he did moments before, towards AJ.

"Are you challenging my gaming ability, Phillip?"

"Yeah, I am. I don't think you're as good as you claim to be,"

"Oh! Really?!" AJ responded in astonishment.

"Yeah, I'd love to prove myself right but it'll have to wait. Some Ghanaian is gonna get his ass kicked," Punk smugly declared, causing Kofi to turn around to face him.

"Over my dead body, Punk."

_**1 hour later...**_

"Fuck! That's it, I give up! You win ok, April," Punk admitted defeat as AJ handed him another loss.

"Yay! See, I told you not to doubt my ability," she said proudly as she put the controller back down on the table.

"Pfft, you just got lucky that Kofi wore me out," he admitted defensively, causing Kofi to speak up.

"Really dude?"

"Yeah, we played out five gruelling games and I came out victorious. I barely had time to celebrate before this one showed up," he once again pointed to AJ with his thumb.

"Well, this one just embarrassed you in five straight games so don't be such a sore loser," AJ said.

"I'm not, I'm just pointing out the fact that on another day, you would've lost," Punk merely claimed.

"Ugh, I'm not going to have such a petty argument with you for the entire night. I gotta get some sleep," she said as she got up off the couch and rummaged through her bag, trying to find the necessary clothes she needed to go to sleep in.

"Yeah, same here," Kofi added as he too stood up from his seat.

"Fine then, I'll finish things up here. You two go ahead and get some sleep."

"Ok, night you guys," AJ said before she headed to the shower to get herself changed into her nightwear.

"Goodnight."

"Nights," Punk said before he stood up from his seat to turn off the Xbox and TV.

* * *

_"Why am I still awake?!" _AJ thought after tossing and turning in her bunk for roughly an hour. Reaching under her pillow, she took out her phone to see the time.

"_1.30am! An hour or so has passed and I'm still wide awake. Why can't I sleep?! Maybe it's this bed… What if I…" _AJ bit her lip in deep thought. She pondered on whether it was a good idea to try to sleep in Punk's bed instead. There was no guarantee that he would let her do so anyways. Nevertheless, she pulled the dark, burnished curtains that covered her lying form and exited her bunk which was located diagonally from Kofi's. Standing up, she made sure to check that Kofi did not have his curtains open to see her. She gingerly walked past the shower and bathroom and arrived at the door of Punk's bedroom. She was just about to knock on the door when a voice rang in her head.

"_Are you crazy?! You're gonna try and sleep in the same bed as him?! Have you actually lost it?" _after hearing the voice inside her head, she decided it was wise to go back to her bunk where she hoped she would get some much needed sleep.

_**1 hour later…**_

"_Arghhhhhhhh! Fuck it! I don't care! I'm just gonna be sleeping in there. It's not like anything's gonna happen. In fact, I won't let anything happen. Hopefully he's ok with it," _AJ thought before she once again exited her bunk but this time bringing along her pillow and headed for Punk's bedroom. After knocking on the sliding door, she received no response. Instead of giving up, she pulled the surprisingly unlocked door to the right, opening it ever so slowly and quietly. Peeking inside, she was met with the sight of Punk laying on his side and facing away from her at the center of the bed.

_"Thank god he has clothes on," _AJ thought as she timidly tip toed her way to his bed, holding onto her pillow tightly and making sure not to make any sudden loud noise. She peered over the edge of the bed before lightly tapping on Punk's left shoulder, waking him from his slumber. Punk was a light sleeper so the slightest bit of noise or touch could easily wake him up.

"Phil? Phil?"

"April… W-What are you doing in here?" Punk replied slowly after he turned his body to lie flat on his back to face her.

"I'm really, really sorry for bothering you this late but I can't sleep. Can I… Sleep in here instead?" she asked apprehensively.

"Uhhh… Sure... I'll sleep in the bunk then," he declared, still in a somewhat sleepy and dazed state.

"No, no, I can't possibly kick you out of your own bed… I don't need much space. I'll just sleep all the way here, near the edge, ok?" she begged while pointing to the edge of the bed which was closest to the door. Punk sighed softly in response before eventually giving in to her demands by nodding his head in approval. He was still half asleep and he really was not in the mood to oppose her pleas. He scooted his body over to the right, giving her more room.

"Thanks, I owe you big time," she said softly in a whisper while giving him a small smile. AJ proceeded to rest her pillow near the headboard of the bed. She lifted the covers and lay under them. She then turned her body on its side, facing away from him.

"Goodnight Phil," she whispered before shutting her eyes.

"Night April."

* * *

_**3 September 2013**_

Punk woke up to the smell of fresh pancakes being made. Opening his eyes, he instantly felt a weight was resting on his left arm. When he turned his head to the left, he was greeted with the sight of AJ curled up against him with the top of her head leaning against his outstretched left arm and her hands grouped together in a ball close to her mouth.

_"Did we...?" _Punk thought as he tried to remember the events of yesterday night.

_"We both still have our clothes on," _he noted to himself as he briefly lifted up the covers to see both of them still decked out in their night clothes.

_"I'm still wearing my boxers," _he thought as he pulled up his pants slightly with his right thumb to take a peek at his lower region. He then carefully pulled his arm away from AJ's head so that she would lay fully on the pillow instead, making sure not to wake her by doing so. He subsequently lifted the covers softly off him and swung his legs over the side of the bed before sitting up. Quietly, he stood up off the bed and went around it to one of his drawers. He pulled on the metallic handle to reveal a bunch of his medication items which ranged from band aids, rolls of gauze, a bottle of iodine and hot and cold packs. Reaching for the back of the drawer, his hand emerged with a couple of packets of condoms. He then used his free hand to look through all of them.

_"None of my condoms are ripped open... One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Yup, they're all still here. Phew," _Punk mentally said as he counted the number of packets that were in his hand. Funnily enough, he actually made a mental note of how many condoms he had left so that he knew once he ran out.

_"C'mon Phil, you don't even drink, how can you forget when you can't even get hung over? You're just being paranoid, nothing happened. If something did, you'd probably have remembered it. I mean, c'mon, you've dreamt of being with her. If you did have sex with her last night, you'd probably be shouting to the moon and the stars in sheer delight... Though Amy would probably hunt you down and kill you afterwards..." _Punk thought as he scrunched up the condoms in his hand and placed them back at the back of the drawer. Closing the drawer, his gaze shifted onto the tiny diva in his bed.

_"She looks so cute curled up in a ball, so innocent yet so beautiful," _he noted in his mind as he admired her sleeping form. At the same time, the smell of pancakes became stronger and stronger as it somehow squirmed its way through the crevices of the bedroom door, locking its hold on the nose of the straightedge superstar. Not being able to resist the aroma anymore, Punk slid open the door and walked to the living room area where he saw Kofi seating at the table and eating his pancakes. It looked like he had been eating for a while as he was only left with half a pancake on his plate.

"Hey Kof, you're up early," Punk greeted as he took a plate out of the cupboard and placed two pancakes on it. He then reached for the cabinet beside the microwave to take out one of the many bottled water.

"It's 12 in the afternoon, bro," Kofi informed him.

"What?!" Punk exclaimed as he turned around to look at the clock located on the wall adjacent to the couch, almost dropping his pancakes as a result, "How the hell did I sleep so long? I've never slept this long before."

"I don't know, you tell me," Kofi simply said after taking a bite of his pancakes.

"What do you mean?" Punk looked at him perplexed as he opened one of the drawers in his kitchen area to retrieve a fork and a knife.

"Something you wanna tell me, dude?"

"Huh? What are you going on about man?" Punk asked Kofi after taking a seat across of him with his plate of pancakes and the bottle of water.

"Ugh, what were you doing last night?" Kofi quizzed him in an annoyed tone.

"Err, sleeping, duh. What else?" Punk took the small jug of maple syrup near Kofi's plate and poured the contents onto his pancakes.

"Ok, did you do anything else other than sleep?" Kofi continued with his interrogation as he finished his meal.

"Uhhh snore?" Punk chuckled while cutting up a piece off his pancake.

"Really? Nothing else?"

"What are you trying to get at man? I slept, that's it," he said before stuffing his mouth with the food.

"That's all?"

"Yes, for the last time, that's all," Punk confirmed, slightly riled.

"Ok, so tell me then, where's April?" Kofi asked, causing Punk to immediately stop what he was doing.

_"Ohhhhhhh so that's what he's talking about... Fuck! I gotta buy myself some time to come up with a good answer," _Punk thought to himself as he looked down, still frozen with the fork and knife in his hands. After composing himself somewhat, he looked up to answer Kofi.

"Uhh I don't know… In her bunk?" he replied unsurely, resuming with his meal.

"Checked all the bunks, didn't find her," Kofi revealed, forcing Punk to come up with another answer.

"The shower?"

"Nope."

"The bathroom?"

"Nope."

"The other bathroom?"

"C'mon man, don't play around. She's in your room, right?" Kofi asked him for confirmation, clearly annoyed by his friend's time-wasting antics.

_"Argh, god damn it! I got nothing..." _Punk thought in his head, admitting defeat.

"Ughhh, yes ok, she was in my room… Still is in fact… Happy?" He took another bite of his pancake.

"What are you doing man? Cheating on Amy, really?" Kofi shook his head at him while scrunching up his eyes. This caused Punk to almost choke on the piece of pancake he was eating and he had to quickly open up his bottled water to drown down the food from his throat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Cheating? I was barely even awake the entire night," he said with a slight difficulty as he tried to regain his breath.

"Huh? You didn't sleep with her?" Kofi asked, baffled.

"I did sleep with her-" Punk started only to be cut off by Kofi.

"Aha!"

"No! What I meant was that yes, she did sleep with me… She slept beside me. That's it," he clarified hurriedly, not wanting Kofi to get the wrong idea.

"So you two literally just slept in the same bed?"

"Yeah…"

"No sex?"

_"I wish..." _he admitted in his head.

"Nope."

"Still, you let her come into your bed?"

"Dude! Did you not hear the part where I said I was barely awake? I can hardly remember what happened. All I can recall is her giving me those puppy dog innocent eyes and begging me to let her sleep in my bed. She said she really couldn't sleep in the bunk... How could I say no?" Punk let out a huge sigh, slowly losing his appetite.

"Ok then, did you want anything to happen?"

"What kind of question is that?" Punk gave him a quizzical yet slightly agitated look.

"It's a question you ask a confused person," Kofi clarified.

"Well then, I have no reason to answer that question," he merely replied.

"Really?"

"Yeah, because I know with 100% certainty what the answer is."

"Which is?"

Punk took a deep breath before making it known to Kofi of his answer, "Deep down, I wish I could've just kissed her and cuddled her to sleep."

"But you couldn't because of Amy," Punk dropped his head at the mention of Amy.

"Look, I'm not a relationship expert or anything but I am happily married and you're obviously infatuated with April. It was clear as day to me when we went bowling a couple of weeks ago. So listen up 'cause I'm gonna be hitting you up with some truth. Don't deny your feelings and emotions-"

"I'm not! I just told you I wanted to kiss and cuddle with her! I like April a lot!" Punk turned his head back momentarily, making sure AJ was not nearby to hear what he had just said.

"In fact, I might even love her..." he added softly after shifting his attention back to Kofi.

"I know, which brings me to my next point. Don't play around with others' feelings and emotions then. Grow some balls and be a man and do the right thing for Christ sake. To quote Johnny Depp, _'if you love two people at the same time, choose the second. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second'._ In your heart, you've obviously already made your choice but in reality, you haven't and it's high time you do so. I'd really hate to see a friend in Amy get hurt anymore over this," Kofi lectured him, making it clear to Punk on what he ought to do.

"I know Kof, I know. I've just been too big of a pussy to end things with her. I've had countless opportunities to do it but each time, I just shit my pants and not say anything," Punk admitted as he stabbed his pancakes with his fork.

"But why are you so scared? You've broken up with girls before so what's so different this time?"

"I don't know... I guess it's because it's our second go at it together and once again I'm gonna be breaking her heart and disappointing her. It's bad enough going through with it once but twice? I don't know if my heart can take it seeing her cry again in front of me," he revealed as he played with the fork that was now standing upright thanks to the support offered by the pancakes.

"Look, do you still love Amy?" Kofi asked, wanting an honest answer.

"Yeah, but only as a friend..."

"Then as a friend," Kofi started, emphasising on the last word, "You have to stop stringing her along and fooling her that you're still in love with her."

"I know…"

"No!" Kofi raised his voice, causing Punk to get startled and look at him instead of the fork, "No more 'I know'... More 'I will' as in I will break up with Amy."

"Ok, ok, I will break up with Amy."

"I will break up with Amy…" Kofi repeated slowly before he gestured with his hands in a circular motion, pushing Punk on to come out with more words.

"Yeah... What else?" Punk gave him another perplexed look. At this point, Punk was just getting tired of Kofi's questions and mind games. He just wanted him to get straight to the point and not beat around the bush.

"Ugh, I will break up with Amy today or tomorrow or what? Give a date and time man! Don't dilly-dally!" he snapped at Punk. Frustrated did not even come close to what Kofi was feeling.

"Ok, ok, fine. I'll text her right now to set up a date so I can break things off with her," Punk gave in before taking out his phone from the pocket of his pants and typing a message to Amy.

"That's more like it."

_"Hey, you free this week for lunch?" _-Punk

A reply came in five minutes later.

_"Nope, sorry baby :( I'm free this weekend though." _-Amy

"_Argh, I have house shows to do. What about next Wednesday when I come back from work?" _-Punk

_"Sure, the usual place?" _-Amy

_"Yeah, that's fine." _-Punk

_"Great, see you next week babe :D" _-Amy

Even trying to return her a smiley face was a hard thing for Punk to do and considering what the purpose of the lunch was, he decided not to use an emoticon himself.

_"See ya." _-Punk

"Well, it's set then. Next Wednesday..." Punk's voice trailed away as he locked his phone and rested it on the table.

"Good, and don't you dare chicken out," Kofi warned.

"I won't, trust me."

"Great. Anyways, my bladder's bothering me. Be back in a sec," Kofi quickly leapt off his seat and was in the midst of heading towards the less used bathroom at the back when Punk spoke up once more.

"Hey Kof."

"Yeah?" he said, turning back slightly.

"Thanks for being so hard on me," Punk gave him a reassuring smile.

"No problem buddy. Just do the right thing, ok?"

"Yeah, I will. Now go, before you dirty the floor with your pee again," Punk mocked.

"It was one time! One moment of weakness!" Kofi shouted back in a playful tone while walking to the bathroom. Punk merely broke out into laughter at his friend's reaction to that unfortunate yet hilarious incident.

* * *

In the meantime, AJ had just woken up from her slumber. When she opened her eyes, she realised she was alone in the bed, laying on her side and facing where Punk would have been. Not only that, she also discovered that she had been sleeping at the center of the bed.

"_Crap! Did I snuggle up to him or something while I was sleeping? Or did he only use that much of the bed?" _AJ thought as she looked ahead at the relatively small space on the bed.

"_Or did I just move unknowingly to the center of the bed when he left? Argh, I hope I didn't make him uncomfortable by sleeping so close to him but I didn't know what I was doing… I was practically unconscious… Still, it was a darn good sleep. Is it 'cause of this bed or him though…? Arghhhh, I dunno how long more I can resist him. I think… I think I might have to talk to him soon and get everything off my chest…" _AJ's thoughts ran on overdrive as she lay in the bed, still looking at the same space on the bed where Punk was sleeping in. After doing enough pondering for the day, she pushed herself up so that she would be sitting upright on the bed. She could tell her hair was not looking the best at the moment so she decided to run her hand through it to fix it up a little. She was surprised when her hand met a little resistance when trying to do so. Looking at the part of her hair which gave her the resistance, she came across strands of her hair tied in knots as if someone had done so.

"_Did Phil do this? Or did I thrash around that much in my sleep that my hair became this way? No, that can't be… Is that even possib-. Whoa, what's that smell?" _her thoughts halted in their tracks a_s _she too, like Punk, instantly gravitated to the scent of freshly made pancakes. Letting go of the strands of hair she had been investigating with her hands, her nose led the way as she got off the bed and opened fully the slightly ajar door only to be met with Kofi walking towards her on his way to the bathroom.

"Kofi! Hi, ummm... Err... I-It's not what you think," AJ's eyes popped open as both of them stopped their movements. This was super awkward for AJ. She originally intended to be the first one to wake up so that Kofi would not have noticed her sleeping in Punk's bed but it just felt so comfortable. She had not slept that way in months. With her frazzled and knotted hair and her wrinkled clothes, it probably looked like something did happen in that room when in truth, nothing did apart from her unconsciously sleeping close to him.

"It's ok April, you don't have to explain yourself. Phil already told me all I needed to know. Anyways, you going in?" he asked, pointing to the door of the restroom.

"Uhhh nah, knock yourself out. Anyways, isn't there another bathroom?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot," Kofi chuckled.

"Ok then, good luck in there," she said as she walked past him and headed to the living room area.

"I'm only going in for a pee!" Kofi shouted back while trying to stifle some of his laughter before entering the restroom as AJ giggled in response.

"Good afternoon, sleepyhead," Punk said after turning his head when he heard Kofi shouting.

"Afternoon?" she gave him a confused look as she sat across of him.

"Yeah, look at the clock," she raised her head to see the clock on the wall and gasped in response.

"Shit! I overslept! And I was supposed to make breakfast for you guys…"

"Don't worry about it, you're a guest. You don't owe us anything. Anyways, Kofi already made pancakes for us this morning so dig in," he informed her, pointing to the pancakes he had on his plate which still formed the base of his fork.

"Yeah, I could smell them from a mile away," she chuckled before looking at him seriously, "But I do owe you though… For letting me sleep in your bed and all."

"I'm sure one day you'll find a way to pay me back," he smirked at her.

"Yeah, I hope so," she replied before standing up to get herself some of those sweet smelling pancakes.

"_Me too… Me too…" _Punk agreed with her in his thoughts. Hope. Quite simply, hope was all he had and all he ever needed.

* * *

**~Review~**


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

Welp, this could either go really well or really bad so I hope it's the former lol

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 6 is from...**

**laura-wrestling-princessx**

"_I actually love how long your chapter are, i am never disappointed when i read one of these chapter's ! LOVE it ! Also I love how realistic you are being with the character! xx"_

* * *

_**11 September 2013**_

Punk was seated at a table at the back of a small, 'mom and pop' style diner. It was a place that he and Amy went to regularly for breakfast and lunch whenever they were in Chicago. As such, he became a regular customer and knew the owner, Nick, very well. He could say he regards Nick as a friend and when he came into the diner today, he requested a table that was isolated from the rest of the crowd so that lesser attention will be given to him and Amy by the other patrons. He figured the further away they were, the lesser people could hear Amy's inevitable crying.

_"C'mon, c'mon, please show up," _Punk thought as Amy still had not arrived and it was nearing 1pm already even though they agreed to meet at 12pm. He was alerted when his phone vibrated as he received a text message. Looking at the home screen, he saw Kofi's name and subsequently swiped the screen to unlock the phone and reply to him.

_"How's it going, buddy? Is it done yet?" _-Kofi

_"Nope, she still hasn't showed up. She's an hour late." _-Punk

_"You're getting stood up lol." _-Kofi

_"Shut up, this isn't funny. I really don't want to delay this anymore..." _-Punk

_"Sorry, I understand buddy. I'm sure she'll come." _-Kofi

Just at that instant, the bell on the front door of the diner sounded which meant someone had either just entered or left the place. Looking up, Punk was greeted with the sight of Amy walking in with a smile on her face.

_"Speak of the devil, she's here. I'll talk to you later, Kof." _-Punk

_"Ok, good luck ;-)" _-Kofi

He quickly locked his phone and placed it on the table.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," she started as she took the seat across of Punk, "My flight was delayed."

"It's ok, you're here and that's all that matters," he gave her a small, comforting smile, one he probably would not be donning again for the rest of the time he was in that diner.

"Anyways, today is such a special day," she said as she returned the smile and placed her hand on top of Punk's, running circles on his with her thumb.

_"Special day?! Oh c'mon! Gimme a break! I'm gonna be breaking her heart on a special day?! Is it our anniversary? Fuck, I can't even remember our anniversary... Yup, I'm definitely doing the right thing alright," _Punk thought as he looked down on their connected hands, noting the emptiness of a spark. A spark that was supposed to be there.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Punk asked, giving her a perplexed look.

"It's the anniversary of 9/11, remember?" she informed him with a little giggle. It was at that point that he gave himself a mental face palm.

_"Oh just fucking great! You actually decided to give her the news on the anniversary of 9/11. That's such a considerate and thoughtful thing to do. Damn it Kofi! You couldn't have reminded me that today was September 11! She'll now remember this day for another reason... God damn it, I'm an actual dumbass!" _he mentally cursed himself, regretting not checking the date of their lunch date.

"It's a special day for me at least anyways. I know many people out there hate this day and understandingly so. But this day always reminds me that we should be thankful we're lucky to be alive and able to spend time with our loved ones. Think of all the people that got separated from their loved ones unwillingly. That's why I'm so glad I can spend today with you," Amy elaborated before she brought his hand up from the table and kissed it warmly.

_"God, she's making it so hard for me... How could I do this to her? But... But I have to... No more delays, I'm not gonna chicken out again," _he thought to himself as she let go of his hand.

"Anyways, enough about me, what are you having for today?" Amy asked as she picked up the menu off the table and looked through it.

"I'm not really hungry," Punk replied as he crossed his arms on the table.

"Huh? But we agreed to meet up for lunch and you're not hungry? Did you eat a heavy breakfast or something?" she asked in confusion as she lowered the menu low enough so that their eyes could meet.

"I'm just not hungry, ok!" he snapped at her out of nowhere, causing her to flinch, "Argh, sorry for snapping at you like that but... I have to do this... First of all Amy, I'm sorry you had to come all the way to Chicago just for me."

"Huh? What are you talking about? I love coming here to spend time with you," she clarified, putting the menu down on the table and giving him her full attention.

"That's the thing... Love..." he said before intertwining his fingers and looking at them spell out 'romance', "You did it out of love but I... I don't think I can do the same for you anymore."

"Huh? You don't like Atlanta?" she was more confused than ever. What was he trying to say?

"No, it's not that I don't like the city, it's just... God, I wish I could have done this over the phone but you deserve better than that, way more in fact. Hell, you deserve better than me," Punk admitted as he ran his fingers through his short hair and looked her right in the eye.

"W-W-What are you saying, Phil?" Amy was starting to show signs of panic as her eyes started to well up with tears. She could roughly tell now what he was about to do.

"Amy, I don't want to drag this on any longer. I don't want to waste any more of your precious time. You deserve to be with a guy who will give you as much love and care as you do to me. I-I'm not that guy anymore and you have to realise that and let me go for your own good," he said honestly with a tinge of sadness. Even though he knew this was the right thing to do, he could not help but feel sad delivering this news and saying these words to the woman he once loved.

"No, no. What are you talking about?" she said, trying to fight back the tears, "Y-You mean you don't love me anymore?"

"I do, but not in that way anymore... In fact, I've been feeling this way for quite a while now and I'm really, really sorry it took me so long to tell you this," he apologised to her for delaying this day.

"No, you've got to be lying... This is a joke, right Phil?" she said, not being able to believe what was coming out from his mouth.

"Unfortunately, it's not... I know it sounds cliché but it really is true. This has nothing to do with you. You've been amazing and you deserve to be with a guy that fully appreciates you. And that guy somewhere out there will feel like the luckiest man in the world if you show him as much love as you have done for me... I'm the problem in this relationship and from the bottom of my heart, I really am sorry I'm doing this to you. I really can't lie to myself anymore about my feelings for you and I especially can't lie to you any longer," Punk confessed, his eyes never wavering from hers at any moment as he got everything off his chest.

"If it's not me, then what happened to you, huh?" Amy asked as a tear escaped her eyes.

"I just... I just fell out of love with you, Amy. Trust me, you're better off without me."

"How long have you been feeling this way then?"

"I can't say for sure exactly how long... All I know is that I gradually felt this way. Again, I'm really sorry," he apologised once again as he looked down on the table, unable to look her in the eyes anymore as the tears started to flow out.

"C-Can we still... Remain friends then?" she asked through her sniffles, unable to control her tears anymore.

"I don't know Amy, I don't wanna give you any more false hope like the last time we broke up and remained friends. Look at what happened after that and what's happening now. I think it's best if we stay our separate ways for now," he admitted before he pulled out a couple of sheets of tissue paper from the tissue box on the table and handed it to her.

"Please don't do this, I think we can still work it out," she begged as she frantically wiped her cheeks with the tissue Punk gave her.

"I'm sorry, Amy. I have to do this. Please don't make it harder than it should be," he said before standing up from his seat, "I-I better leave."

"Phil, no, please," she begged again while Punk was in the middle of getting out of the booth.

"Goodbye Amy."

"Phil," she grabbed onto his arm just as he tried to walk past her, "Just tell me one thing."

"Who is it? There's someone else, isn't there?" she asked after taking a deep breath.

"Goodbye Amy," Punk repeated before pulling his arm away and bringing up the hood of his sweatshirt, ignoring her question completely. He thought about saying AJ's name but he knew better than to involve her in their breakup. All he knew was that he had feelings for her so to him, he had no right in answering that question. At the end of the day, his feelings for AJ were the main reason why he broke up with Amy, not AJ herself who knew nothing about his feelings towards her. There was no point in bringing up someone who could quite possibly be an innocent bystander in all of this at the end of the day. This break up was more so for Amy than for him. He had to let her go because he was no longer in love with her. He did not care that he could possibly have no one by his side when all is said and done. He just needed Amy to be free, to be free of him.

Another ring of the bell was heard as he left the diner, never once looking back at his pained former lover. Now, he had another hurdle to get over: admitting his feelings for AJ. Although there was no guarantee that she felt the same way about him, he knew he did the right thing in the end as he felt like a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. Both he and Amy were now in a better place.

* * *

_**16 September 2013**_

Punk was lying down on the couch while reading off a piece of paper in his hands when Kofi climbed up the steps of the bus to inform him of the match card for tonight.

"Hey, I just checked the match card. We're both not on it tonight. Wanna head off to Smackdown early?" Kofi asked as he took a seat at the dining table.

"Uhh no. In fact, I actually wanna stay here awhile," Punk informed him after resting the paper down on his stomach.

"Eh? Why? You usually wanna head off to the next city once you know you're not needed for the night," Kofi said, perplexed at his friend's sudden change of attitude.

"I… I actually wanna talk to April in private," Punk admitted as he scratched his head nervously.

"Whoa, you actually wanna do it tonight? Don't you think it's a little too soon after your break up with Amy to get into another relationship?"

"Yeah, I guess it is kinda early but in my head, and I know it sounds bad, I didn't break up with Amy on Wednesday, I broke up with her weeks ago... And I feel too strongly about April to just delay it any longer like I did with Amy. I'm just gonna get it over and done with. Plus, it's not like it's a guarantee that she even feels the same way about me. So I figured if she doesn't share the same feelings as me, at least I won't waste much time hoping if we will ever be."

"Well, if I was a betting man, I'd bet she gets repulsed by you once she looks at your dating history," Kofi laughed to himself as Punk squinted his eyes at him.

"For your information, she does know about my dating history and she's harped on it and even teased me about it as well so I doubt she cares. She even called me a womaniser for god's sake."

"Well you kinda are," he snickered back at Punk.

"Well I'm not trying to be one, ok, not now anyways. I was young last time so I had a little fun you know but now, I'm just trying to find a woman who will absolutely floor me," Punk revealed.

"And that's April?"

"Maybe, she's all I can think about at the moment so that's quite possible."

"So is all of this what the paper's for?" Kofi chuckled as he pointed at the piece of paper lying on Punk's midsection.

"Yeah, I thought it'd be better if I wrote down all the things I wanna say so I don't screw it up somehow… You know, like how I kinda messed up a little with the break up on such a special day for Amy… Thanks again, Kof," he explained to Kofi and sarcastically thanked him before glaring at him.

"Ok, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry? How was I supposed to know it was going to be on September 11? And how was I supposed to know that that's a special day to her? You're the boyfriend, you should've known. Plus, you were the one who made the date. It's not my fault someone didn't check the date," Kofi said, trying to deny any blame for the unfortunate timing of the break up.

"Well it's not my fault someone didn't remind me, especially when that same someone was the one who was pressuring me to set a date," Punk hit back, pushing the blame back on Kofi.

"Fine, ok. It's my fault," Kofi gave in, not wanting to have a petty back and forth with Punk, "But aren't you glad you did break up with her?"

"I never said I wasn't glad. In fact, I'm happy I did it. I feel liberated and I know I'm probably not Amy's favourite person in the world right now but she'll thank me later once she realises how better off she is without me. But now, I have another girl to settle my issues with…" his voice trailed off as he rolled his head back and stared at the ceiling.

"Hmph, your life is never dull, is it?" Kofi snickered.

"Surprisingly, it never is," he chuckled along with Kofi while still looking at the ceiling.

"Anyways, since we're staying here for a while, I'll hang out with some of the other guys backstage then," he said before getting out of his seat and heading for the door when Punk spoke up.

"Hey Kof."

"Yeah?"

"You mind if you travel with someone else just for tonight?" Punk asked after rolling his head forward to look at the Ghanaian born wrestler.

"Huh? Why?"

"Well, you know how I'm planning to speak to April later, right?" he started, earning a nod from Kofi, "I actually plan on doing it inside the bus and while the bus is moving so that she can't run away."

"Wow, you really thought this through, huh?" Kofi said in astonishment at his friend's preparation.

"Yeah, I've seen those chick flicks where the guy confesses his feelings for the girl and the girl just runs away, not responding to the guy. This way, she can't possibly escape," Punk explained as he smirked at his own brilliance.

"You've been watching too many of those, haven't you?" Kofi teased, not holding back his laughter.

"Hey, some of them are so bad that it's laughable. You should try it sometime. It kills time, especially when we travel from city to city," Punk said, defending his love of crappy, sappy love movies.

"So that's what you've been watching on your iPad… Explains a lot," Kofi remarked.

"What can I say? I'm a hopeless romantic," he declared with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You can say that again," Kofi rolled his eyes in response.

"So you ok with travelling with someone else for tonight?"

"Yeah, I don't mind. It's your bus anyways. Do I really have a say?" he chuckled.

"True, but thanks anyways for understanding," he gave Kofi a small smile.

"No problem, good luck later," Kofi said before he left the bus.

* * *

"Hey, what the hell was that out there?" Natalya asked in a rather loud tone.

"What do you mean?" AJ replied as they walked back to the divas' locker room after they worked commentary together.

"Don't play dumb with me, you tampered with my headset didn't you?" she questioned AJ, referring to the unfortunate situation moments ago where her headset failed to work.

"What?! You mean you were actually serious about the whole headset problem out there just now?!" AJ said in shock as they both stopped walking, "I thought you were playing it off really well by saying I had something to do with it."

"There's no need to play it off when I know you had something to do with it," Natalya claimed, accusing her of wrongdoing.

"Oh my god, are you actually listening to yourself talk? How could I have done anything to your headset? You're starting to blur the lines between storyline and reality and it's beginning to affect your work. I'm sorry your headset wasn't working but don't go around wrongly accusing people like this."

"Don't patronise me. I see what you're doing, April. Oh, sweet little April couldn't possibly have done anything wrong," Natalya mocked, raising her finger at AJ, "I see right through your little game. You're not fooling me."

"Ugh, whatever, Nattie. I didn't do shit. Believe whatever you wanna believe," she said, annoyed as she entered the divas' locker room and tried to shut the door on Natalya.

"Hey, don't you dare walk away from me," she threatened before she pushed the door in, making sure it did not close on her. She continued to follow AJ until AJ sat down on the bench in front of her locker.

"Also, you had the audacity to say I sounded like a cat being slammed against a wall when I was shouting at you. FYI April, I had no working headset, of course I'd be shouting," she hissed, crossing her arms at the same time.

"That was me playing it off and being the douchey heel I'm supposed to be, Nattie," AJ responded calmly as she started to untie her Chucks.

"Oh, and I guess that was what you thought you were doing when you buried me, Trin and Brie for losing to you last night."

"I wasn't burying you girls, I was hyping myself up if you hadn't noticed," AJ corrected, looking up at Natalya for a moment as she took off her sneakers.

"No, you were burying us and you did it knowing full well no one can hear any of my responses."

"Well I'm sorry, I was just doing my job. In fact, in the end, I wasn't the one coming off as heelish and self-entitled when you were the one who said I was jealous 'cause I'm not a 'Total Diva' like it's some great honour to be one and then proclaimed that you were a born champion. Who's supposed to be the heel now, Nattie?" AJ clarified after standing up from the bench to look at her right in the eye.

"You are! But you're coming out of this story as a hero in the fans' eyes when it should be the 'Total Divas'."

"Ugh, again, I'm sorry that the fans agree with me and are choosing to side with me," AJ sarcastically apologised.

"You know, I didn't really mean what I said on that stage a couple of weeks ago but now, I'm starting to believe what I said then was true," she said firmly as the rest of the divas started to surround them.

"You wanna repeat what you said to my face?" Natalya challenged her as she moved closer to AJ's face.

"Gladly," AJ replied as their eyes never once got distracted from each other's the entire time.

"Nattie, c'mon. She's not worth it," Nikki said as her and some of the other 'Total Divas' dragged her away to the other side of the locker room. Natalya though, made sure to glare at her the whole time she walked away with them, only moving away from AJ's eyes when she reached her own locker.

"Boy, you're certainly making yourself loved around here, aren't you?" Kaitlyn sarcastically remarked as AJ sat back down on the bench to take her socks off.

"Ugh, you don't even know the half of it. It's like the instant I cut that promo, I'm public enemy number one. They all hate my guts," she revealed as she looked at the group of 'Total Divas' chit chatting with one another.

"Trin doesn't seem to hate you that much," Kaitlyn pointed out. It was true, out of all the 'Total Divas', Naomi was the only one who didn't bother her and in fact was the one to encourage the girls to leave her alone when they all approached her after the 'pipebombshell'. Whether it was due to the fact that they wrestled together in FCW or the fact that they've always got along with one another, Naomi definitely did not hate her.

"True, but soon enough she will once the rest of them get to her and brainwash her. She'll find a reason to hate me, I'm sure of it," AJ sighed as she casted her eye towards Naomi who was currently talking to Cameron, "I just wish they'd let it go and not despise me so much for saying what I said which was in character…"

"Hey, it doesn't matter what they think about you. You're the champ and what matters is that Steph and Vince love you and have your back so no worries," Kaitlyn said, putting a hand on AJ's shoulder, "Plus, us non-'Total Divas' hate them too."

"You do?" AJ asked, a little surprised at what her friend had just said.

"Yup, ever since the focus shifted on to them, the rest of us are just merely being pushed aside and there isn't any signs that it's gonna change anytime soon."

"Ugh, I'm sorry. My promo probably caused all of this," AJ apologised, looking up at the two toned diva.

"Nah, don't sweat it. Vince wants to push the show and you just happen to be the champ at this time. In fact, you're the one holding down the fort for us non-'Total Divas'," she said reassuringly.

"Thanks, I'll try to make you girls proud," AJ said after getting up from the bench.

"Chickbusters?" AJ held her fist out to her with a smile plastered on her face.

"For life," Kaitlyn returned the smile and connected her fist with hers before both of them 'blew it up'. Both of them instantly gravitated towards the door when they heard knocks on it. Since AJ was currently barefooted, Kaitlyn voluntarily walked over to the door and opened it, revealing Punk on the other side.

"Hi," Punk greeted warmly.

"Hi," Kaitlyn returned the greeting before asking, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I'm looking for April. Is she in there?"

"Yeah, you want me to get her?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice. Thanks," he said as he gave her a warm smile.

"No problem, wait here. I'll get her in a jiffy," Kaitlyn promised before she closed the door on him. She then walked back to where AJ was sitting.

"It's Punk, he wants to see you outside," she revealed, causing AJ to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"Huh? For what?"

"Dunno, didn't ask. I just know that he wants to see you right now," AJ stood up from the bench and headed to the door, curious to know the reason behind Punk's unexpected visit. Opening the door, she was met with a warm welcome by Punk.

"Hi."

"Hi," she replied, putting on a smile on her face.

"Nice shoes," he chuckled, pointing at her bare feet. She had totally forgotten she had taken off her shoes before going out to see Punk.

"Oh, well I'm sorry I'm not properly prepared, your highness. I didn't know you would show your royal self here," AJ started, giggling softly as she played along with him, "So what's up?"

"Err, I need to talk to you," he informed, rubbing his neck nervously with his hand.

"Ok then, shoot."

"No, not here. Too many people around." AJ simply responded by looking around at their surroundings where there was only one other person in the vicinity, a crew member to be exact.

"Uhhh, I didn't know one's a crowd," she chuckled after she reverted her attention back to him.

"One person is more than enough to leak our conversation. Just meet me by my bus, we'll talk inside. I'll even offer you a free ride to Smackdown," he divulged, hoping she would agree to his demands.

"Err... Ok..." she hesitantly agreed, "But won't Kofi be there as well? Didn't you just say one person is more than enough to leak our conversation?"

"I trust Kofi. And trust me, it'll be like he isn't even there," Punk said as he smiled evilly to himself on the inside at the little joke he just made.

"Ok then, I'll meet you there once I finish taking a shower. See ya," she waved him goodbye before re-entering the locker room.

"See ya," Punk brought his hand up in reply before heading back to his bus, relieved she did not ask too much questions about it.

"So what did he want?" Kaitlyn asked after AJ returned from her little talk with Punk.

"He wants to talk in private on his bus," she simply replied as she opened her locker to take out all the necessary toiletries for her shower.

"He wants to talk to you alone on his bus," Kaitlyn crossed her arms and looked at AJ as her scepticism rose, "Doesn't that sound a little suspicious?"

"Nah, don't worry about it. Kofi will be there so nothing's gonna happen," she clarified after she closed the door of the locker and looked back at Kaitlyn.

"You sure?"

"Positive. Plus, I'm getting a free ride to Smackdown so I'll at least get something out of it. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta take a shower before too many total bitches clog up the place," she said before heading for the showers with her various toiletries as Kaitlyn laughed along at her new term for the 'Total Divas'.

* * *

AJ had just finished taking a shower and was now on her way to Punk's bus. Exiting the arena, she weaved through the various production trucks until she arrived at a part of the car park where the buses lay. She walked past a couple of the buses which seemed to belong to Randy Orton, John Cena and the Big Show before arriving at a two toned brown bus.

"Phil, I'm here," she said loudly as she knocked on the door of the bus. Not five seconds later, the door creaked open.

"Oh, April, you actually came," Punk chuckled before exiting the bus to help out with her luggage.

"Yeah, of course I'd come. Who'd reject a free ride?" she laughed along as she climbed the steps first with Punk following closely behind her with her luggage. AJ then sat down on one end of the couch while Punk settled her luggage on the seat at the dining table. He subsequently went to the front of the bus and tapped on the shoulder of the bus driver.

"Hey Joe," Punk said, breaking his concentration on the book he was reading.

"Oh, hey Phil. Everything's good to go?" Joe asked as he put the book down.

"Yup," Punk replied with a nod of the head, "Thanks a lot, Joe."

"You're welcome," Joe kept his book in the glove compartment and proceeded to start the engine while Punk entered the living room and closed the sliding door behind him shut. He locked the door and then lowered the motor-driven blinds down, blocking out anyone from looking through the windows.

"What's with all of this? You planning on killing me or something?" AJ giggled, referring to Punk making sure no one can hear or see them while they were in the bus.

"Heh, something like that," he smirked as the bus started to pull out and move.

"So where's Kofi?" she asked, looking around the interior of the bus.

"Err… He's not here," Punk answered nervously, rubbing the side of his neck.

"_What?! I'm alone with him?! Fuck! April, remember… Resist the temptation. Don't do something you'll regret," _she said in her mind as Punk took a seat beside her on the couch.

"Umm, why isn't he here? I thought you said he was coming along?"

"I lied, I just wanted us to have some privacy… I really need to tell you some things."

"Erm, ok… What do you need to tell me then?" she questioned.

Punk took a deep breath before he said what was on his mind, "Me and Amy broke up."

"Oh, er, I-I'm sorry Phil. It must be hard on you," she sympathised, placing her hand on top of his comfortingly. She had no clue why he was telling her this. She was not involved in their relationship so why was he bringing it up to her. In the meantime, Punk looked down at his hand, feeling the hairs on top of his hand standing up. He smiled at the feel of her hand before quickly pulling his away from hers.

"Don't feel sorry for me, feel sorry for Amy because it should have been done a long time ago," he said coldly as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that I was too big of a pussy to end things with her. I should have ended things with her much sooner when I started falling for someone else," he elaborated, looking straight ahead, away from her face.

"Falling for someone else?" she repeated, a little shocked at this news.

"Yeah, it wasn't right what I did. I wasted her time and love and I hope she now understands why I broke it off with her."

"Oh, but Amy's alright, right?" she questioned, concerned for one of her favourite wrestlers growing up.

"I hope so. I honestly don't know. At the moment, she probably hates my guts but I hope she finds a guy who will appreciate her better, better than me anyways."

"I hope so too... So erm, who is it then? The person you fell for?" she asked curiously, hoping somehow it would be her.

"_Could it be me? No, what am I saying? It can't possibly be me… He would never give someone like me a second look… I'm just a nerdy, dorky little girl… He probably fell for some hot supermodel type,"_ AJ thought as she noticed his body starting to tense up.

"It's you," he said as he turned his head to face her, "It's you, April. The real reason why I avoided you during my time off was because I was scared of falling for you."

"Falling for m-me?" AJ stuttered in shock.

"_Oh my god, did he really just say my name? Maybe I heard wrong," _she mentally said as she could not help but slowly smile in happiness on the inside.

"Yeah, look, when we kissed, I felt something that I had never ever felt before. It was amazing and I wanted more but I couldn't, especially since Amy was still with me-" he tried to explain himself but was interrupted by AJ.

"Phil, I-"

"No, I'm sorry April. I really need to get everything off my chest before I forget any of the things I planned on saying," he said as AJ nodded, allowing him to continue. Punk took another deep breath before pouring out everything he wanted to say.

"I know the kiss was wrong, I should've never even been anywhere close to your lips let alone anyone else's except Amy's. I honestly didn't mean to do it, it was a spur of the moment kinda thing but... But I didn't regret it one bit once I stopped lying to myself about my feelings for you. The kiss made me realise that I've been feeling this way about you for a long time, a lot longer than I originally thought. It even goes back to the first day I met you during your time at NXT where you instantly got my attention. At the time, I thought you were just another girl I found beautiful but it slowly dawned on me that you're more than just a pretty girl. Day by day, I became more and more attracted to you. From your love of comics and video games to your snarky, sarcastic attitude, there's just so many things that I like about you. We have so many things in common and one of the best times I had while being in the WWE is the storyline I had with you. Every day when I went to work, your smile was a welcome sight and it was hella fun hanging out with you… And kissing you, of course," he chuckled softly at the end, causing AJ to roll her eyes and giggle softly herself.

"But what really opened my eyes was when you got written in that storyline with Nick. I know I never once let go of an opportunity to tease you about being romantically involved with him but I did it because I was curious to see whether you had fallen for him. Whenever I saw you two kissing on TV, it always rubbed me the wrong way. I'll admit I was jealous of Nick and at one point, I thought you two legit got together but at the time, I was still with Amy so I tried to not give it much thought but sure enough, after we… After we kissed, I realised I've actually been hiding and denying my feelings for you all this while. Never has anyone's lips been so perfect against mine and ever since then, I've been head over heels for you, April. You're beautiful, smart, nerdy, kind, funny in a dorky way, sarcastic and most importantly, caring. I don't know what else I can ask for in a girl," he confessed as he took a hold of both of AJ's hands with his.

"And I know some of the fans might not look at us, especially you, kindly if they see me move on from someone you idolised to be with you but I personally don't care what they think. I can't help who I fall in love with," he admitted, his gaze never wandering away from her eyes.

"Y-You're in love with me?" she stammered as her eyes widened in disbelief at what he just said.

"Fuck, did I say love? I meant like... Shit, please don't tell me I just scared you and pushed you away. If I did, forget I said love and replace it with lik-" he was in the midst of trying to come back on his words when AJ launched herself at him while claiming his lips with hers, causing Punk's body to fall back with her on top of him. The instant his body touched the base of the couch though, he pushed her away hesitantly, resulting in a small groan escaping AJ's lips.

"W-What are you doing?" he asked as he held onto AJ's biceps.

"Kissing you, obviously," she chuckled, her smile the biggest it has ever been.

"You mean you feel the same way about me?"

"Mhmm," AJ merely nodded.

"I've in fact been having dreams and daydreaming about you while at work and it really was hard to refrain from hanging out with you. I told myself that if I stopped being around you, maybe my feelings would go away but they didn't. They grew stronger in fact. And when you went away for those two months, I felt like a part of me was missing and I really got hurt when you ignored all my calls and messages. I always have a blast with you and you're probably the first person I would hang out with among all of the guys. Like you, I don't care about what the fans think. I just want to be with you," she confessed.

"You really mean that?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes.

"Yup, in fact, you don't know how hard it's been for me to resist kissing you lately so before I waste any more time," she said before she quickly pressed her lips against his once more. Punk returned the kiss and started moving his lips against hers, enjoying being able to feel her lips once again. Her hands started to descend his body and when she began to tug on the hem of his 'Violent Gentlemen' shirt, Punk responded by groaning and pushing her off of him again by her biceps.

"W-Wait, isn't this going a little too fast? Don't you wanna go out on a date or something first?" he asked hurriedly. The last thing he wanted was to screw up another one of his relationships.

"Nope, we have tomorrow or the day after that, hell, even next week to go out on a date. But right now, I just want you so pucker up," AJ said before once more gunning for his lips only to be stopped inches away from Punk's lips by him again.

"B-But-"

"Oh my god, Phil! I swear to god if you stop me one more time, I'm gonna walk out that door. What is it now?!" she asked, clearly annoyed at him constantly stopping her attempts to kiss him.

"I just wanted to really make sure you want this. I really don't mind taking it slow, April. I'd hate to screw up another relationship of mine," he informed her, their faces so close that they could feel each other's breaths.

"Yes, I want this. I'm sure of it, Phil. I've wanted this for a long time," she admitted, gazing into his emerald eyes.

"Same here," he smirked as a grin came over AJ's face.

"Good, now shut up and just kiss me already," she said before quickly closing the barely there gap between their lips and this time, Punk never even gave a hint of a thought about breaking away from her. He, just like AJ for him, wanted to enjoy her, all of her. She brought her hands up to the sides of his face, trying to bring his lips as close as possible to hers. Even though his lip ring was gone, his lips still felt as soft as she remembered. In the meantime, Punk slowly lowered his hands from circling her neck to caressing her hips. He then rubbed his hands up and down her sides, asking without words to take off the black coat she was wearing.

"Mhmm," she softly responded with a small nod before breaking her connection with his lips momentarily as she gave him another smile. AJ got off of him and kneeled on the couch, waiting for Punk to get up. He propped himself up on his elbows before pushing up his upper body with his hands, meeting AJ's chocolate eyes once again. He now had his left leg touching the floor while his other leg was bent against AJ's body. Giving each other a warm smile, AJ proceeded to rest herself on her butt and unwrap her legs, bringing each one to the sides of Punk's body before moving in for another kiss with the Chicago native. A kiss which was accompanied along with a little giggle from her. Even when they were meshing their lips into one, they could not help but smile every once in a while, enjoying the kiss and just being happy that they were finally able to be so intimate with one another. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him closer, while his were lying on her hips once again. His hands slowly fell to her ass where he gave a squeeze, earning a moan from the tiny diva. Punk simply smiled against her lips, satisfied at AJ's reaction to his touch. With his hands still on her butt cheeks, he broke the kiss for a short moment before he lifted her light body up and rested her on his lap. At the same time, she wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to tighten their embrace. They stared at each other lustfully before resuming their make out session. Punk's hands gently moved from her bottom to the front of her body, the top button of her coat to be exact. He started to try to unbutton the fabric but realised it was a little more difficult than expected. After spending what he felt was like ten minutes trying to undo one god damn button, he regretfully had to break their kiss to look down at her coat, resulting in another groan from AJ.

"Why did you have to button it up all the way?" Punk asked, his eyes fully focused on the button as he tried to unbutton her coat.

"How was I... To know we'd be doing this? I wouldn't have even worn this if I knew," she replied, still trying to catch some of her breath back.

"God damn it, these have got to be the tightest buttons in the world," he said in an annoyed tone, perplexed by how a simple button was getting the best of him.

"Are you seriously struggling with unbuttoning my coat?" she questioned in disbelief, directing her eyes towards where his hands were right now.

"Well I'm sorry I have weak fingers. You should've thought about that before wearing this then," he sarcastically replied, looking back up to her face as she mirrored his actions.

"Ugh, you're ruining the mood, you know that?" she commented, tipping Punk over the edge. Instantly, he ripped open her coat with all his might, causing all the buttons to scatter all over them. She gasped loudly in response as she looked down on her now ruined coat. She had no time to say anything in reply as he then pulled the coat off of her arms forcefully and discarded it across the room, not caring where it would land, before kissing her lips hard. He was getting annoyed by her snarky attitude towards him and decided to shut her up with a forceful kiss.

_"Oh god, that was so hot! I'm already turned on and it hasn't even been five minutes! God, I thought only people in movies do this. But my coat though..." _she thought to herself as their lips continued to move against each other's.

"My coat," she mumbled against his lips.

"I'll get you... A new one," he replied against her lips as he fiddled with the hem of her skull patterned blouse. Knowing his intentions, she raised her arms in the air, allowing him to undress another piece of her clothing. He released his hold on her lips before he lifted the clothing up her body and off her completely in a snap, revealing a black lace bra. She giggled shyly as her upper body was now exposed and responded in turn by quickly lifting his shirt up. She did it so quickly that Punk did not even have time to raise his arms up. Once she got his shirt off, she simply rested her hands on his tattoo clad chest, just gazing at the bountiful of colours and shapes that lay on his chest. Even though she had seen his chest tattoos many a times when he wrestled in the ring, this was somehow different. Being so close to them gave her a different view on them. She truly was mesmerised by them as she tried to make out what each individual tattoo was meant to be.

"I'm guessing you like the view?" Punk chuckled, noticing her being distracted by his tattooed chest. AJ simply replied by nodding her head before shifting her lips back to where they should be; on Punk's. He placed his hands back on her hips, enjoying the feel of her bare skin against the palms of his hands. He pulled her closer to him, trying to deepen the kiss before he ran his tongue across AJ's lips, asking for permission to enter. She obliged immediately and opened her mouth, welcoming his tongue in where his was going to fight hers for dominance. The taste of each other was like a drug to them. They wanted more and more each time their lips and tongues connected. A moan escaped the lips of AJ as she slowly travelled her hands up to the back of his neck, locking them tightly.

It was at this point that Punk had had enough. He held AJ by her bottom and carried her up as he stood up from the couch, never once breaking his hold on her lips. He rested her on the edge of the dining table and started to kiss her neck. AJ closed her eyes and rolled her head back, giving him more room to place wet kisses on her neck. He then moved towards her collarbone, continuing to kiss and pleasure her.

"Phil..." she moaned his name softly as he bit on her skin. She was certain that a mark will appear in the morning but she did not care one jot. She knew it was his way of telling the world that she was now off limits, his and only his. He descended his lips down her chest until he reached the top of her breasts, never once halting his kisses. She proceeded to fall back until her body made contact with the table as her hands around his neck brought him down with her as well. As he kissed down her bra clad bosom and the valley between her breasts, his hands moved to behind his back as they tried to locate her shoes. Once he felt her Chucks, he took them off one at a time without untying them, doing it by feel as he continued placing kisses around her breasts. Fortunately for him, he had a much easier time getting them off compared to unbuttoning her coat just now. Her socks were gone in an instant before his hands trailed slowly and teasingly back up her jeans-covered legs. His lips were still making contact with her skin and she could not help but let go of moans as he trudged down her stomach. She was getting wet by the second and when his lips broke away, she groaned wondering why they had left her body. Opening her eyes for the first time in a while, she looked up to see Punk's hands on the front of her jeans, ready to unbutton and unzip them. Giving him a nod and a reassuring smile as a way of giving him permission to carry on, Punk proceeded to undo her jeans, revealing a matching set of panties. She unlocked her legs, allowing him to pull them off completely as he threw the jeans behind him on the couch. It was at that point that his body froze and only his eyes moved. He casted his eye up and down her half naked body which lay flat on the table and was just in awe of her beauty.

"You look absolutely stunning," he said, causing AJ to giggle in shyness and her cheeks to burn with redness.

"Thanks, you're not too bad yourself," she giggled as she pushed herself off the table to kiss him softly. As their tongues moved against each other's once more, her hands trailed down his lean body until they reached the waistline of his athletic pants. Tugging on them, she broke the kiss and pulled his pants down but only to his thighs since she could not bend down completely from her raised position on the table.

"I got this," he smiled at her and pecked her lips before bending down to pull his own pants down to his ankles. Stepping out of them, he kicked away his pants towards the door and proceeded to take off his shoes and socks. Once it was all done, he was just left in his boxers and again, AJ was the one who just got lost admiring his body. He placed his curled index finger below AJ's chin and lifted her head up, forcing her to look away from his body and look into his eyes. For the umpteenth time, they locked eyes and smiled to each other before they moved in for another intoxicating kiss. Punk, for the first time, moaned when AJ bit his lip, wanting to enter his mouth with her tongue. He duly obliged and rested his hands on her hips while hers was once again circling his neck. They stayed in that position for a while until his hands started to ascend her back and eventually reached the clasp of her bra.

"Mmm," she groaned, pulling away from him but only far enough such that her lips were still barely touching his as his hands just lay on the clasp of her bra.

"Not... Here... Bed... Room..." AJ muttered in between breaths, struggling to regain her breathing as she looked back and forth between his eyes and his lips. Punk simply smirked before capturing her lips again and lifting her up by her ass. She locked her legs around his waist as he carried her to the bedroom in the back. He stopped at the door of his bedroom before he broke away from her to try to slide the door open. His job was made difficult when AJ started grinding against his groin area, making his member harder by the second.

"April..." he groaned as AJ continued rocking her hips, halting his progress on the door for a moment.

"Is it hard yet, Phil?" she whispered teasingly into his ear as the bulge in his shorts grew bigger and bigger. He simply nodded as she continued moving her hips against his.

_"Oh fuck! I dunno how long I can take it before my balls literally explode. She's such a tease. Two can play this game, April,"_ he thought to himself before he slammed her against the door, causing her to gasp loudly in pain as she instantly stopped grinding him. He then tantalisingly ran his hand slowly up and down her thigh before arriving at her panties. With his index finger, he then rubbed circles on her clit through the relatively thin fabric.

"_Owww! I expected him to be a little rough but that was a little too painful. I probably shouldn't have started this game with him… His touch is just so good… So inviting... I'm feeling wet already… Oh… Fuck… God, Phil… Don't stop… Phil… Phil..." _she said in her head as the black fabric slowly became stained with wetness.

"Is it wet yet, April?" he was now the one to whisper seductively into her ear as she responded by just closing her eyes and arching her body against him, moaning his name ever so softly over and over again at his touch.

"I'll take that as a yes," Punk chuckled before he placed his hand back on her ass and successfully slid open the door. He entered the room and lay her down on the bed with him on top of her before they smiled at each other again.

"You ready?" he asked as he rubbed with his thumb one of the cups of her bra.

"Mmm, more than ever," she replied as the grin on her face never wavered one bit. He went in for a kiss but she quickly turned her head away, resulting in him pecking her cheek.

"What the?" he said in confusion as she swiftly retreated to the headboard of the bed. She then held out a closed fist before curling one of her index fingers up and down, inviting him to come to her.

"God, you're such a tease," he chuckled as he more than happily moved to where she was now. She replied with a soft giggle before they resumed consuming each other on the bed. Not wanting to wait any longer, he flipped them over so that she was now on top of him. A small giggle escaped her lips before his hands once again gravitated to the clasp of her bra. Unhooking it, he pulled the straps down her arms. She pulled away from him and kneeled on his stomach with her knees draped on either side of his body. She took her bra off completely and tossed it behind her before bending down to claim his lips in what felt like their tenth kiss. She rested her body flat on his again and started to grind her hips against his already hard member, causing him to groan in pleasure. He flipped them over once more and started kissing down her body, from her neck to the valley between her breasts to her stomach until he reached her panties. Placing one final kiss on her panties, he sat on his knees and slowly pulled the garment off her smooth, toned legs before tossing it aside.

"Whoa," he simply said as his jaw dropped at the sight in front of him; AJ bare naked. AJ merely giggled at his admiration of her body and quickly pushed herself up to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately before pulling him back down on the bed. As they continued open mouth kissing each other, AJ began to bend both her legs until her feet managed to touch his shorts. She then used the big toes on her feet to hook onto the waistband of his boxers and then straightened her bent legs, pulling the shorts down completely.

"What the? Are you a monkey or something?" Punk chuckled after breaking their kiss, amazed at AJ's ability to get his underwear off so quickly and effectively.

"What can I say? I'm flexible," she giggled as Punk laughed along. After their laughter died down, he pushed his body off of her and headed for the drawer where his condoms lay but instantly felt a tug on his arm, stopping his movement. Turning around, he was met with AJ holding onto his arm with both of her hands and donning her puppy dog eyes as if to beg him to stay.

"Where are you going?" AJ asked.

"To get my condoms," he replied, putting his free hand on top of both of hers comfortingly.

"I'm on the pill, silly," she giggled.

"Oh, I didn't know," he chuckled before she pulled him down back onto her bare body, "So where were we then?"

AJ simply giggled as Punk moved his head to the crook of her neck, open mouth kissing her neck. She rolled her head back on the pillow as her giggles slowly turned into moans. Her moans got more and more frequent as he started moving down her neck and eventually ending up at her breasts. He proceeded to sucking on one of her nipples while massaging the other in between his fingers until it hardened into a peak. She clasped her hands in his hair, feeling her nipples become more and more erect.

"Phil... Oh..." she moaned as he did the same to the other nipple. He proceeded to nibbling on her erect nipples with his lips and even flicking them with his tongue as he felt her body tense up and her sighing increase. Punk decided to pleasure her some more when he left her rock hard nipples and headed for her core but immediately, he was stopped in his tracks when AJ pulled his head up so that their eyes could connect once more.

"No more teasing, Phil... I've been teased enough these past few weeks," she revealed before bringing her mouth close to his ear and whispering seductively, "I need you inside of me."

Punk instantly got harder, if that was even possible anymore, at the sound of her inviting voice. Pulling away slightly, he saw the desire in her eyes. She was desperate for him and he was feeling the exact same way. Not wanting to deny her anymore of her wishes, he spread her legs and lined himself up at her entrance. He rubbed the head of his member up and down against her already wet folds before slowly entering her wet center as both of them at that moment moaned in pleasure.

"Fuck April... You're so tight," he said before carefully moving in and out of her as both of them kissed each other hard, swallowing each other's moans. She had a firm grip on his neck as he propped himself on his elbows, still moving at a delicate pace, a pace that AJ wanted quickened. She turned her head to the side, releasing her claim on his lips as Punk started kissing her neck instead.

"P-Phil... Faster… P-Please..." AJ stuttered in a begging tone.

"Whatever... You say... Princess..." he replied softly in between kisses as he picked up the pace, thrusting into her with more speed and desire.

"Oh god!" she moaned loudly, thoroughly enjoying the new pace Punk was going at. Punk buried his head in her hair, not wanting to kiss her so that he could hear her moans and groans and how good he made AJ feel.

"Oh god… Oh yes… Ohhh…" AJ moaned with every thrust inside of her.

"Tell me if it's too much and I'll stop," he mumbled into her neck. She quickly pulled his head up, connecting their gazes.

"Don't… Stop... It's never... Too much... Faster... Faster..." AJ sighed intermittently in between his pumps into her wet core as she smiled longingly at him.

"Alright, baby..." Punk replied breathlessly while returning the grin before he picked up the pace of his motion again, causing AJ to gasp loudly.

"Oh! Phil! Yes... Right there..." AJ moaned, more than satisfied with what Punk was doing. Wanting even more of a sensation, she wrapped her legs around his waist and grinded her hips against him, meeting his thrusts. Whenever he moved in into her, she moved against him, causing Punk to groan loudly each time she did so.

"April! Fuck... That's… So... Good..."

"I know... Phil..." she sighed with her eyes closed as they continued screwing each other's brains out.

"Oh!" they both gasped in surprise when the bus jerked after it ran over a pothole, enjoying the sudden up and down movement. As his manhood continued to disappear into her core, he earned an approving gasp from her each time he pushed himself into her. He teasingly ran one of his index fingers down her body, trailing over one of her hard nipples, down to her stomach and stopping at her clit.

"Oh… Phil... More…" AJ gasped as she arched her body against Punk with the back of her head buried deep into the pillow when he started to massage her clit, pushing her closer and closer to her climax.

"You feel so good April… So... So… Good..." he said, enjoying and savouring the feel of being inside of her as the room temperature hit an all-time high, a layer of sweat enveloping their bodies. Wanting more of a connection with him, AJ pressed her lips against his and began moaning and groaning into his mouth instead. That must had been at least the twentieth time their lips came together as their tongues danced with each other once more. Punk was at her mercy as he was left wanting more and more whenever their lips parted. Her taste was still as addictive as he remembered. Thrusting into her harder and faster than before, he could feel AJ's walls tightening as his length started to throb menacingly and AJ responded by jerking her lips away from his.

"P-Phi-i-l... I-I'm gonna c-cum..." AJ stammered as she buried her face into his neck and her fingers into the back of his shoulder, feeling her orgasm coming.

"I'm right behind you... Cum for me, April," he whispered enticingly into her ear, sending chills throughout her body. He then gave a hard, deep pump into her while still rubbing her clit with his finger.

"Phi-i-il-l…" she muttered uncontrollably, feeling it getting very close, before he once again went deep into her, finally pushing her over the edge.

"Phil!" his name tumbled out of her lips loudly as she raked his back with her fingernails and tightened her embrace on him, the waves of pleasure washing over her face. He was close himself as his cock throbbed even more once she hit her orgasm. He held onto AJ's shoulders as he thrust into her a couple more times.

"April!" he screamed as he too hit his orgasm, spilling warm cum into AJ. His body collapsed on top of hers with their heads resting against each other's shoulders as they now lay as one, their beads of sweat were the only thing separating their bodies. Their breathing was still hard and loud as they tried to recover from the wonderful sensation they had just experienced. Using his hands, he pushed himself out of AJ as she unwrapped her legs. Rolling off of her body, he landed beside her and only their loud sighing filled the room. Staring at the ceiling, they both tried to make out what had just happened. Did they just get intimate with the one person they had been dreaming about for the past couple of months? It was surreal to them and as they slowly gathered back their composure and breathing, all that was heard now was the sound of the engine of the bus running.

"That... Was…" AJ started, breaking the silence before she was interrupted by Punk.

"Amazing," he said simply as they turned their heads toward each other and donned their familiar smiles. They closed the gap between their bodies again as their lips made contact but this time, the kiss, though not long, was just soft and full of love. After breaking their kiss, Punk pulled the covers from under them and lifted it over their bare naked, still sweaty bodies. AJ proceeded to lie her head on top of Punk's chest and placed one of her hands on top of his stomach as he wrapped his arm warmly around her shoulder. They were both tired out and just wanted some rest so what better way than to sleep in each other's arms.

"Goodnight Phil," she said as she closed her eyes and moved her body as close as possible to his.

"Sweet dreams April," he said in reply as he kissed the top of her head before resting the side of his chin on top of it. Although he was a known insomniac, having AJ this close to him gave him the warmth and the comfort to just sleep and he, like AJ, quickly fell into a slumber. A slumber they both hoped would never end.

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**~Review~**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

Hello! I was pleasantly surprised you all were so happy with the last chapter. It was my first time writing a sex scene so I was kinda worried that it would suck and you all won't like it. So thanks for the awesome reviews :D

Any who, for this chapter I decided we needed a little cool down, especially after the last one. The next chapter will be about the baseball game but I'm kinda having a little trouble with it so bear with me if I take a little longer or it isn't as good as previous chapters. The fact of the matter is there isn't much I can take out from the clips and pics of them from the game so I'll have to come up with a little more myself. Anyways, enough rambling, hope you enjoy this chapter!

-SC

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**Best Review for Chapter 7 is from...**

**Maizeandbluekid**

_"This now may be my most favorite chapter yet. You characterized Punk's internal conflict perfectly. He did not want to let Amy go in the slightest, but he couldn't deny his feeling for AJ anymore, and so he did it as best as he possibly could._

_I have a feeling something's gonna blow up and AJ is gonna have to slap the taste out of one of the Total Divas' mouths. My bet is either Nikki or Nattie. Thought it was funny that AJ was so emerged in wanting to see Punk, she forgot to put some shoes on, lol._

_And that love scene... my goodness! Hot, steamy, romantic, raunchy and just flat out sexy, all rolled up into one._

_And now I can't wait till we get to the baseball game! Great chapter again, SC."_

* * *

_**17 September 2013**_

Punk had just woken up from his long, comfortable slumber with AJ still in his arms. He had noticed the bus was stationary which meant that they had already arrived at the arena for Smackdown. Instead of getting up from the bed, he decided to just lie in bed and admire the sleeping form of the woman in his arms. The woman he could now call his girlfriend. It was not until thirty minutes later did AJ start shifting in his arms. Opening her eyes, she realised she was still in the same position she was in before falling asleep last night: her head using his chest as a pillow. Even though it was a flesh-filled pillow, it sure felt like she was sleeping on the fluffiest, softest pillow. Being able to hear and feel his heartbeat was like a metronome to her, lulling her to a deep slumber. She was glad that this would not be the last time she could sleep like that again. When she eventually looked up, the green orbs of the second city saint welcomed her to a very good morning.

"Hey beautiful," Punk greeted her as just as warm a smile accompanied his words.

"Hi handsome," AJ greeted back as she rubbed her eyes to get a better view of the man who cuddled her to sleep last night.

"You look so peaceful sleeping," he said, his smile still ever present.

"That's because I was in peace, in peace in your arms," she returned the smile while rubbing the arm that was around her shoulder with her free hand. The other hand, meanwhile, was tracing the many tattoos on his chest.

"That was so sappy," he laughed, causing AJ to instantly turn her body away from him.

"Ugh, sorry, I was just trying to be romantic," she said as she quickly lay her head down on the pillow with her back facing him.

"I'm kidding, c'mon," he pleaded, circling her tiny waist with his arms and laying his head on her shoulder, "I just said that 'cause I'm usually the romantic one in a relationship."

"Really? I somehow doubt that," she said in disbelief, turning her head just enough such that her eyes could only see his face.

"Hey, I might have a rough exterior but I'm quite the charmer," he proclaimed proudly, bringing out a sarcastic laugh from AJ.

"Sure," she continued her sarcastic ways as she looked straight ahead again.

"You're really gonna doubt me after yesterday?" Punk asked.

"I-" she turned her head to give a reply but cut short her response when she realised he was right after all, "Fine."

"Heh, that's my girl," he declared, quickly placing a kiss on her cheek.

"You're serious about that right?" AJ turned her body back to face his, her eyes locked onto his.

"Serious about what?"

"Me, being your girl," she said softly while looking down on his chest instead of his face.

"Of course," he smirked as he used his thumb to lift her head up back to face his, "You're not a one night stand April. That's the last thing I want with you."

"So we're officially dating? Even though we haven't exactly gone out on a date yet," she giggled as her doe eyes tried to work their magic on him.

"Yeah, definitely," he confirmed as he tapped her nose lightly with his finger, "Unless... You're already sick and tired of me..."

"Heck no, I always have fun with you. Now I get to have even more fun with you," she giggled flirtatiously as she cuddled back up to him, their bare naked bodies making contact for the umpteenth time in less than a couple of hours.

"Ah, our first little dirty talk."

"So all the dirty talk yesterday didn't count?"

"Nah, that's sex talk. It's different," Punk declared as he wagged his finger in front of her face.

"Ok, but can we keep it quiet?" AJ questioned while tracing his 'straightedge' tattoo on his stomach this time around.

"You were the one making the most noise last night," he smirked as AJ lightly slapped his chest.

"I'm not talking about sex, I'm talking about our relationship," she corrected him.

"Oh, yeah, of course. We won't be making a big hoopla out of it like some people who air their personal lives on TV, that's for sure. I hate people invading my personal life."

"Same here, I'm a very private person so it bugs me whenever people ask who I'm dating."

"Ok then, so we keep it between us. But you were making a lot of noise last night," he brought it up once more as she just sighed in response.

"You're still the same douchebag, huh? Next time, I'll tape my mouth then."

"No, don't. I never said it was a bad thing," he said as he wrapped his arm tightly around her, "I loved making you scream my name last night. It was so hot."

"Thanks, I'll be louder next time," she promised before pecking his lips.

"As loud as the sound of a natural dynamite," he winked at her.

"Natural dynamite?" she repeated, looking up to the ceiling to remember what those two words meant, "That sounds awfully familiar."

"Yeah, it's what you called yourself in the promo during NXT when I was on commentary, remember?"

"Oh yeah! I think that was my first ever promo on WWE television," she smiled gleefully, remembering her eventful time in NXT.

"Yup, and ever since then, I vowed to get some of that in my life and now," he used his free hand to caress her bare side, "I have all of it."

"Awww, that's so sweet," her cheeks were coloured with a light shade of pink while she was unable to control her giggles in shyness.

"I told you I'm a romantic," he reaffirmed proudly as AJ's giggles slowly faded away. Her mind wandered to another topic, one she hoped they could discuss together.

"Ummm, not trying to be a buzzkill and all," she bit her lip as she nervously traced his 'straightedge' tattoo again, "But what's the situation right now between you and Amy? Like are y'all still friends or?"

"We're probably not since I told her we shouldn't be friends..." Punk revealed to her as he shifted his gaze to the ceiling.

"Oh... And how did Amy take it?"

"Sad, disappointed and probably hates me," he said dryly, ticking off each with his fingers.

"Oh..." AJ looked down for a moment, feeling a wave of sadness come over her for someone she admired for so long, before looking up at his face again, "So like... What happens between me and her then?"

"I honestly don't know... Right now, she doesn't know the situation between us so I guess she's cool with you but once she finds out..." Punk's voice trailed away as he refused to even consider what could happen between the two women.

"I'll be the second most hated person, after you of course," she admitted harshly, her voice pinged with a tinge of sadness.

"That's possible but I hope that doesn't happen. She should be angry at me, not you," he said, reverting his gaze back to her.

"It's fine, don't sweat it," she assured him, trying to shrug off the potential issue between her and Amy.

"No it's not," he replied defiantly as he quickly looked back at the ceiling, not wanting to face her, "You shouldn't be a part of the collateral damage of my break up with her. Fuck, if I had been more upfront with her earlier, you'd probably not be dragged into this..."

"Hey," she turned his head back to face hers, "It's ok. I signed up for this, I know the consequences. Do I wish me and Amy can remain friends? Hell yeah but if she feels it's too awkward or hates me for being with you, then I can't do anything now can I? It is what it is, I just have to accept it."

Punk sighed, his emotions centered around regret, "I'm sorry, this mess is all my fault."

"Don't beat yourself up, we all make mistakes. Just don't repeat it... Especially with me or else..." the tone of her voice slowly evolved into a warning one as she put her leg in between his, her knee dangerously close to his balls. She gave him her patented crazy chick smile before moving her leg up slowly such that her knee was now touching his balls and manhood.

"Err... Understood ma'am," he answered nervously as he felt turned on yet frightful at the same time. Only AJ could mess with his emotions like this.

"Good, so what about our first date then?" AJ asked, swiftly removing her knee from his groin area.

"Oh, that," he uttered, scratching his head nervously.

"Yes, the things people who date do," she clarified in a snarky fashion.

"Don't be snappy at me, I have something planned," he lied. He honestly had no clue what he was going to do with her for their first date.

_"Fuck! What's a good first date? Amusement park? A trip to the comic shop? A walk in the park? Movie theatre? She seems to be a simple girl... Maybe a nice little dinner? Fuck, what if she thinks I think of her as low maintenance by doing something so simple and common? Damn it Phil, don't screw this up!"_ his mind bounced off ideas as he tried to come up with a plan for their date.

"Really? What is it?" AJ asked giddily as her eyes lighted up with excitement.

_"I have nothing right now... I'll just tell her it'll be a surprise what we're doing for the date so I can buy myself some more time,"_ Punk thought for a short moment.

"It'll be a surprise," he said in a surprisingly calm manner.

"Oh fui," she slapped his chest playfully, "C'mon, tell me."

"Nope."

"It's not happening anytime this week, is it? 'Cause I have a comic con to attend so I'm not free this week..." AJ revealed, frowning at the thought of being unable to spend time with her new boyfriend.

_"Sweet! More time to think. I think a week should suffice,"_ Punk smiled happily on the inside at the news he just received.

"Nope, it'll be next week," he declared happily.

"Ok, cool. So what is it?" AJ asked once again as her curiosity piqued. She was never one to like being kept in the dark over things.

"I'm not telling you, April. You'll find out when the time comes," he said before facing the ceiling once again but this time, his eyes were closed shut and he donned a giant smile. He loved toying her like this.

"Tell me, pleaseeeeeee," she begged as she lay half her body flat on one half of his and rested her chin on his chest. She then wrapped her arms around his neck, hoping this teasing position she was in could force him into giving in to her demands.

"Nope," he said simply as he kept his eyes shut, refusing to look at her innocent puppy dog eyes she undoubtedly was using right now.

"C'mon, not even a little hint? Pretty pleaseeee," she begged again, nudging his side with her body.

"Nope, I can do this all day, April," he claimed as his eyes remained shut.

"Oh really?" AJ teasingly asked as she let go of his neck.

"Yup," he replied before she slowly lowered her hand down his body until it was now resting on his member.

"April... Don't..." Punk warned, his eyes about to lose their will to stay shut as his smile faded and his member hardened by the second at the touch of her hand.

"What?" AJ replied innocently as she looked up at his grimacing face and started stroking his member lightly with her fingers.

"T-That's not going to work," he began to stammer, bringing a large smile upon AJ's face. He was getting weak at her touch and she was bound to get the answer she was pining for.

"Are you sure about that?" she continued stroking it, picking up the pace ever so slightly.

_"Oh fuck! She knows how to tease the fuck out of me. God! Be strong, Phil! Don't let her find out you have nothing planned for the date... Just... Try to hang on... Keep those eyes closed. The moment you open them, she wins... You know you can't say no to those eyes..." _He told himself on the inside as AJ kept looking up at his scrunched up face.

"April..." he moaned as his manhood started getting hard.

"So, you wanna tell me now?" she whispered softly into his ear, bringing back memories of their intimate session last night.

"N-No..." Punk stuttered once more, still refusing to let her win.

"You say that but your little friend," she whispered into his ear enticingly again before she gripped the hard body part in her hand, causing Punk to jerk in shock as she followed it up by continuing her stroking rhythm, "Seems to say otherwise."

_"Oh fuck! She's full on gripping it right now! I can feel a little pre-cum spilling out... Fuck April... Somebody, please stop her... April... Please..."_ Punk thought to himself.

"April..." he moaned her name once again.

"Yes, I believe you have something to tell me," she said as she pulled away from his ear and moved her head to look at his face.

"April... C-Come here..." Punk struggled to his words as he gestured with his free hand to invite her to come close to his lips.

"Yeah," she moved her head close to his with her lips almost touching his as she finally stopped her hand motion on his dick.

_"She stopped! Hallelujah! This is your chance. C'mon, think of something insulting which could make her stop this torture on you..."_ Punk thought, feeling her breath on his lips.

"April."

"Yes, Phillip," she grinned, anticipating him spilling on their first date activities.

"Y-Your hands are a little small," he smirked and opened his eyes as AJ immediately gasped and released her hold on him.

"Ugh! Jerk!" AJ got off of him and proceeded to lie flat on the bed and fold her arms in annoyance, "Fine, have it your way. I was about to make you really happy but now, you and your little friend aren't getting any action anytime soon."

"Oh c'mon, not even tonight?" he asked, shaking her by the shoulder.

"Especially tonight, have fun pleasuring yourself," she stared at the ceiling, annoyed he was keeping their date so secret that he would reject her pleasuring him.

_"Fuck! That worked too well. Good job, Phil... Now she doesn't even want to be anywhere near your dick... Or maybe she's just using this as a way to torture you into giving her the answer she wants..."_ Punk thought deeply for a moment.

"Ugh, still as stubborn as before," he remarked.

"Likewise."

"April, trust me. It'll be worth it if you don't know."

"I certainly hope so," she said as she flicked the head of his member with her fingers, bringing out a groan from Punk.

"Ow! That hurts, it's still hard you know," Punk said as he tried to rub away the pain.

"It wouldn't be once I was finished with it... But too bad someone was too stubborn to know what's good for him..." AJ said teasingly as Punk gulped nervously. He was starting to regret denying her the opportunity to pleasure him.

"H-Hey, speaking of sex," he started in a stuttering manner as his thoughts continued to dwell on what could have been happening right now, "Yesterday was great and all but we can't do that again without a condom."

"We won't be doing it anytime soon," she informed him, causing Punk to groan once again.

"Yes, but when we do-"

"If we do," she cut him off as she corrected him.

"Fine, if we do, I feel much safer if I was wearing a condom. I was so caught up in it yesterday that I totally ignored the possibilities if something went wrong. It was great yesterday, amazing in fact but no more, ok? I don't want you to have to sacrifice your career over me," he confessed to her as she shifted her eyes to his.

"Ok, I understand but just so you know, it's not the end of the world if I end up carrying your child," she said softly as she ran her fingers up and down his torso.

"Really?" Punk's eyes widened in surprise.

"Or is that all the sex we had yesterday talking?" he chuckled.

"I'm serious. Would I be sad that I'd have to walk away from wrestling for a while? Yeah, a little but I've always wanted kids," she admitted, looking back up at the straightedge superstar.

"Heh, believe it or not, I've actually always wanted a baby girl but I promised myself to only start a family once I retire which may actually be soon. I don't want to have to raise a baby while on the road. But let's take it slow, first. I mean, we're already talking about kids for god's sake," he chuckled as he looked into the eyes of the black widow.

"Yeah, I'm in no rush either. In fact, I want us to just take it one day at a time. I was just trying to comfort you, that's all. You seemed to be so stressed out over it."

"Thanks, I do feel better actually but still, condom?"

"Yup, no risk," she gave him a warm smile as Punk brought her close to him again.

"Good, and you know, I have some with me right now and we're both butt naked anyways so..." Punk said teasingly as his free hand slowly descended down her body.

"Nope, na uh," she slapped his hand, causing him to jerk it away from her body, "You didn't want to tell me about our date so no action for you."

"Wait, you're really serious about that? I thought you were just kidding around."

"Yup, I'm serious and even if you tell me now, I won't do it. You played your cards just now, Brooks. Live with the consequences," she said as she patted his member lightly with her hand while smirking at him.

"C'mon, you know you can't resist me," he said, holding onto the hand that was just tapping his length and now forcing it to stroke his dick.

"No, you can't resist me. Look at what you're doing right now," she said as he continued forcefully moving her hand, "Seems like someone is regretting their choice."

"No I'm not, I'm just saying... Don't you wanna finish what you started?" Punk asked her teasingly as he clenched her hand, causing her hand to grip his length tightly. She bit her lip as she felt it getting harder in her hand.

_"Oh god, it's getting harder by the second! It feels so good to have him in my hand like this... But I'm not gonna let him win. I'm not giving him the satisfaction of feeling good without getting what I want. Plus, I just had sex, mind boggling sex might I add, last night. That memory should last me until next week... I think..." _AJ pondered before she quickly jerked her hand away from his growing member.

"We just did it a couple of hours ago. I think that'll last me for another couple of days."

"Days?!" Punk exclaimed in shock.

"Yeah, I'm going back home after this then going off to Ohio for Comic Con, remember? So I won't be seeing you for a while," she revealed as she rested her head back on his chest and wrapped her arms around his midsection.

"Awww... What am I going to do for the next couple of days then?" Punk asked as he caressed her hair with his hand.

"I don't know, definitely not me," she said, causing him to laugh in response.

"You're definitely my girl alright," he lifted her head up by her chin and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"C'mon, I wanna eat. I'm starving," she said after she broke away from the brief kiss. She tried to get up and get out of his arms but he immediately pulled her back to him.

"Noooo, let's just stay in bed for the entire day until we've got to go to work."

"That's at least a solid 8 hours you know."

"I don't mind, I just wanna cuddle with you," he snuggled his head into her neck before a loud growl from his stomach alerted them both.

"I don't think your stomach agrees," she giggled, patting his stomach.

"On second thought, I'll go make us breakfast," he laughed as both of them got up from their previously lying positions.

"Are you sure you're not gonna burn the food?" AJ questioned as she pulled her dark, long hair to one side of her body.

"Positive, so are you ready to taste the food stylings of CM Punk?"

"Hell yeah, let's hope the food is-" she stopped short of what she was about to say when she ran her fingers through her hair, "What the?"

"What's wrong?"

"My hair! Look!" AJ grabbed a handful of her hair and showed it to Punk, "It's you!"

"What? I did that?" Punk asked in disbelief as he pointed at the knotted strands of hair, "I highly doubt that."

"Yeah, you did. The same thing happened the last time I was in your bed. Nothing happened when I slept anywhere else," she pointed out as she fiddled with her hair in between her fingers.

"But I was asleep the entire night."

"Which means you did it while you were sleeping. You were sleep-hair tying," she accused him as she playfully frowned and swatted his arm with her knotted hair.

"That's a thing?" Punk chuckled as he rubbed her bare back comfortingly with one of his hands.

"It is now. Now if you'll excuse me," she swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, "I gotta untie my hair and get the rest of my clothes. My things are at the living room right?"

"Yup," he confirmed as AJ walked towards the door, "Uhhh, April?"

"Yeah?" AJ turned back at him for a moment as she stood in front of the door.

"I love seeing you naked like this but are you really gonna go out there not wearing anything?" Punk said as he bit his lip and eyed her naked form up and down.

"Oh shit! I totally forgot!" AJ exclaimed as she looked around the room for her underwear.

"Oh, here are your boxers," she picked up the undergarment from the edge of the bed and tossed it in front of him on the sheets. However, he merely gave it a short glance before looking back up to admire her body.

"Aren't you gonna put your boxers on?" AJ asked as she finally caught sight of her panties which were lying beside the bed, almost sneaking underneath it.

"I don't really feel like it. I'm enjoying the view too much. I might have to take up your offer and just pleasure myself," he said smugly as he put his hand under the sheets, "You mind just standing there?"

"Ugh, pervert! Get your hand out from under there!" AJ screamed as she picked up his shorts again and threw it forcefully at his face, "Put them on!"

"Ok, chill. My hand wasn't even on my dick," he defended as he kicked off the sheets and put on his boxers.

"Sure it wasn't," she rolled her eyes before bending down to pick up her panties.

"Can you bend down again? It was really hot," he suggested crudely as she straightened her body back up only to give him a disapproving look. She then slapped him across the face with her panties.

"Yep, that will do," he caressed his face happily as she shook her head and put on her panties.

"You're such a horny ass," she remarked as she looked around the room for her bra this time around.

"I'm only like this because I have such a hot girlfriend," he said flirtatiously before grinning at her, causing her to snort in laughter.

"Nice save," she looked around desperately for her still missing bra before eventually enlisting Punk's help, "Errr, have you seen my bra?"

"Errr, no," he replied as he too started surveying his room from his position on the bed.

"Crap, where could it be?" AJ began scratching her head frantically until she heard giggling coming from the bed.

"What? What's so funny?" she asked Punk who was struggling to keep his laughter down.

"Look behind you."

"What? All I see is a big TV-" she said as she turned around before noticing the black fabric hanging onto the edge of the TV, camouflaging itself with the black TV, "Ohhhhhh, how did it get there?"

"I don't know, didn't you take your bra off?" Punk looked at her just as puzzled while she took her bra off the TV and put it on.

"I did? Well, it doesn't matter. C'mon, let's go," she cajoled him as she finished hooking up her bra and headed for the door.

"April, wait," he hopped off the bed, stopping her from opening the door.

"What is it now? I'm moderately dressed."

"Not really if the bus driver raised the blinds."

"He can do that?" AJ asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah, Joe can control the blinds from his driver's seat. He usually has brought them up by this time," he revealed to her after taking a short glance at the wall clock.

"Well, can't you tell him to bring them back down?"

"I could... If I had my phone with me," he admitted as he scratched his head nervously.

"Don't tell me it's outside with the rest of our things..." Punk responded by merely nodding to her.

"You just had to strip off our clothes out there," she slapped his chest playfully with the back of her hand.

"Oh! I didn't hear you complaining yesterday. All I heard was you moaning and asking me to take it all off," he crossed his arms while raising an eyebrow at her.

AJ sighed in reply as she was left dumbfounded by their current situation, "Now what? I'm in my freaking bra and panties, Phil! How can I go out there looking like this?"

"I could go out there and lower the blinds. I don't mind walking out just with my boxers on," his suggestion though, was immediately brushed off by her.

"Well I do. No woman is gonna look at my man while he's half naked like this," she quickly wrapped her hands around his waist, hugging him tightly.

"Your man, huh?" Punk smirked at her as she returned it with a giant smile.

"Yup, all mine," her hands fell to his butt cheeks where she gave a light squeeze.

"We could cover ourselves with the bed sheets."

"Hmmm, don't you have anything in the closet for us to wear?" AJ asked, looking over to the closet.

"Nope, I don't even have a single piece of clothing in there."

"Ugh, fine, gimme the sheets," she said before Punk retrieved the covers from the bed. They then wrapped themselves up with the large, grey blanket as they stood beside one another with each of them holding onto one end of the sheet.

"This is so cosy, we should do this more often."

"I agree, I guess we don't need our clothes after all," AJ giggled.

"Yeah, but I will say this probably isn't the most hygienic thing to do considering what we did on it yesterday," he chuckled as AJ laughed along.

"Meh, we can wash it off later when we shower," she said, brushing it off.

"Is that your way of inviting me to take a shower with you later?" he questioned her teasingly as he slid open the bedroom door.

"Nope, you had your chance just now, Phil. You blew it, deal with it," she affirmed as they walked past the shower and bathroom. Punk merely groaned in response.

"Oh c'mon! Are you really-" he was instantly interrupted when the door to the living room area slid open, revealing Kofi with a plastic bag full of food in his hand.

"Hey Phil! How did it... Go...?" Kofi's voice trailed away as his jaw dropped at the sight of the living room area. It was like a hurricane had hit inside the bus. AJ's ruined coat was lying on the kitchen counter, each of their shirts was on either seats at the table, and the couch was partially covered by AJ's jeans while the floor was littered with their shoes and socks and Punk's pants which was literally at Kofi's feet right now. Looking up, he saw Punk and AJ shrouded together in a blanket, both seemingly naked under it. AJ instantly moved behind Punk, covering her body with his even though their bodies were already covered with the sheets.

"Kofi! Ummm..." Punk started but immediately was at a loss of words.

Turning his head back to glance at AJ who was now cowering behind him, he whispered, "Err, I think we'll need our clothes."

"Our clothes are in front of him, Einstein," she whispered back, causing Punk to snort in laughter. His giggles immediately stopped when he felt a sharp pinch to his side.

"Ow!" he jumped a little in pain before he took the other end of the bed sheets AJ was holding, "Ummm Kof, what are you doing here?"

"Well... I just came up here to see how it went... Plus, I also brought us breakfast... Err... I thought you said you were only going to be talking to her?" Kofi asked as his eyes shifted constantly between the pair of them and the mess in front of him.

"I did, I just managed to talk her clothes off as well," Bam! He was met with a rather hard thud to the back of his head.

"Owww! I thought us getting together meant lesser physical abuse?!" Punk said loudly as he looked back at her once more.

"If you're gonna continue making those type of jokes, there'll be more where that came from," she hit back in a warning tone.

"You could've mentioned that was a part of the deal yesterday..." Punk mumbled softly, earning him another pinch to his side. Not wanting to suffer any more physical abuse, he turned his attentions back to Kofi.

"Err, Kof, how did you get in here? I thought the door was locked?"

"Oh, you made me a set of keys so I could get in anytime I need to, remember? I probably shouldn't have used it this time around though…" Kofi replied as he continued surveying the area.

"It's ok Kof, just... Can you give us a minute?"

"Uhh, yeah, sure," Kofi answered as he turned around to exit the bus, "Once y'all done, holler ok?"

"Yeah, thanks man. Can you lower the blinds on your way out?"

"Sure," Kofi said as he lowered the blinds down.

"Now don't take too long you two. If not, I'll ask Joe to raise the blinds again," Kofi warned playfully as he exited the room and closed the door.

"We're not going to-" AJ tried to explain herself but Kofi had already shut the door.

"God, that was so awkward," she commented as Punk dropped the sheets to the floor.

"Really? I thought it was funny as fuck. Did you see his face?" Punk laughed loudly.

"Yeah, he looked like he saw a ghost," AJ giggled along as they walked towards the mess they created.

"Well, let's hurry up and get dressed before he actually does tell Joe unless…" he circled her waist from behind as she was just about to pick up her jeans, "You wanna have a little quickie..."

"Nope," she said simply as she slapped his hands away from her body.

"Fine..." he groaned as he went to clean up the mess and put on some clothes.

* * *

_**5 minutes later….**_

They had both already gotten dressed in their clothes from last night and AJ was now holding her ruined coat in her hands.

"My coat... It was one of my favourites, you know," she pouted while bringing the coat to her chest with both her hands.

"I told you I'll get you a new one," Punk reassured before giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

"You better," she replied as she nudged him on the arm with her coat. She then put the damaged clothing into her luggage before zipping it up and placing it down on the floor.

"I'll put my things in the bedroom while you let Kofi in," she said before pulling her luggage and bag towards the bedroom. Punk, meanwhile, called Kofi back in who had been waiting outside their bus.

"Sorry for, you know, barging in like that," he apologised as he rested the plastic bag full of food on the dining table.

"It's ok Kof, you brought us breakfast so that more than makes up for it," Punk replied happily as he took out two packets of food out, one for him and one for AJ.

"Good morning Kofi," AJ greeted as she came back from the bedroom and took a seat beside Punk.

"Morning April, I hope the food makes up for what I did just now," Kofi said as he sat down across of them.

"It sure does! Phil was gonna cook breakfast for me. Somehow, I had a gut feeling it would've been a bad idea," she giggled as Kofi joined her in her laughter.

"Then your gut was probably right."

"Laugh all you want, April. When I cook for you once, you'll be begging me to cook for you every time," Punk said before he took in a mouthful of eggs.

"Ok Phil, we'll see," she gave him an 'OK' signal with her fingers as she gave him a wink. Just as Kofi was about to rest his arm on the table to start eating, Punk spoke up, halting him in the process.

"Oh, I wouldn't put my hands there," Punk warned, pointing to the area on the table where Kofi's packet of food lay.

"Huh? Why?" Kofi asked in total confusion before Punk raised his eyebrows twice teasingly, "No, you guys did it on here?"

AJ almost choked on her food before she spoke up, "No we didn't Kofi. He's just trying to scare you."

"C'mon April, we kinda... You know..." Punk motioned with his head towards the table as AJ gave him an 'are you serious?' face.

"Eww, you guys are disgusting!" Kofi lifted his food off the table and stood up from his seat as Punk started laughing in response, "Doing it on the table where we eat?"

"Phil! Stop scaring him!" AJ slapped him on the arm as Punk just continued his laughter, "Kofi-"

"I'm gonna eat on the couch then," Kofi quickly said, cutting AJ off as he left the seat and headed for the couch only to be stopped once again when Punk's voice rang again.

"Ahhh," he simply blurted out as he held up his hand.

"What? You guys did it on here too?!" Kofi asked in astonishment as Punk bit his lip to stop laughing.

"No, don't listen to him Kofi. Phil's just trying to mess with you. Aren't you, Phil?" she looked towards Punk who replied by nodding his head.

"See," AJ said, turning back to face Kofi but just as she did so, Punk's nodding turned into shaking. Not knowing who to trust, Kofi moved towards the kitchen counter, hoping it was the one spot they avoided.

"I'm not taking the risk, you guys stayed clear of the kitchen counter right?"

"Yeah, surprisingly we did," Punk said in a surprised tone, earning him a death glare from AJ.

AJ shifted her attention back to Kofi and patted the table, "Kofi, just sit here with us. You really wanna stand there while you eat?"

"I don't mind, at least I know it's clean... I think," Kofi said unsurely before placing his food down on the counter and subsequently taking a bite off a piece of bacon.

"You're so mean, Phil," she punched his arm lightly, "He's your best friend."

"What? I'm just being a good friend by warning him. We haven't showered yet so we can wash it off later," he said nonchalantly, mimicking the words she uttered a couple of moments ago.

"Phil!" AJ shouted, slapping his arm as hard as possible as she could not believe her boyfriend had just said that.

"Oh god, I'm gonna lose my appetite," Kofi simply uttered as he dropped the plastic utensils into the packet of food.

* * *

_**23 September 2013**_

"Ah, good old Chicago!" Punk commented as he and AJ entered the Allstate Arena for Monday Night Raw. Ever since they started dating, Kofi had been travelling with other superstars because he wanted to avoid any awkward situations such as that of last Tuesday. Meanwhile, Punk and AJ had agreed to keep their relationship a secret so they chose to not display any of their affections publicly. This meant no hand holding, hugging and most importantly kissing even though they so desperately wanted to do so. They just wanted to have a relationship where no one was busy snooping into it and they were allowed to just enjoy it for themselves.

"Yeah, I'm excited too. I like Chicago. For some reason, the fans always seem to react to me," AJ commented, recalling all the previous times she wrestled in the windy city.

"That's because Chicagoans have good taste," Punk flirtatiously said, causing AJ to giggle lightly.

"Awww, that's so cheesy yet so sweet at the same time."

"Thanks, I try my best," he boasted as they reached the match card for the night.

"Anyways, what's on the card for us?" AJ asked as Punk skimmed through the card with his index finger.

"Well, it seems that I'll be doing a promo while you'll be in a ten diva tag match against the 'Total Divas'. Hm, our segments are after one another which means we can go off the instant yours finishes," he happily pointed out as he looked back at AJ.

"Cool, which also means more time to cuddle with you in the bus," she smiled at him while poking his stomach repeatedly playfully.

"Only cuddle?" he asked in a teasing manner.

"Well, we could do more than just that if you're up for it," she said as she trailed her index and middle fingers up his body. Punk looked around the area, noticing no one in the vicinity.

"Oh I'm up for it, especially the little guy," he said, bringing out giggles from AJ.

"Anyways, I'll meet you by the bus later once I'm done?" AJ asked, removing her fingers from his body.

"Yup," Punk simply answered before taking another glance around the area, "Hey, no one's around…"

"Oh," she copied his movements and surveyed the area as well before turning her head back to face him and giving him a big smile, "Ok."

They moved in for a kiss with AJ on her tippy toes so that Punk did not have to bend his head as much. At the same time, he placed his hands just below her butt, pushing her up ever so slightly and bringing her body closer to his. The kiss did not last long though since they were afraid of someone catching them in the act.

Pulling away, AJ was just left wanting more, "Mmm, I wish it was longer."

"We'll have all the time in the world later. See ya," Punk waved at her as he pulled his luggage towards the men's locker room.

"Bye Punkybear," she waved back.

"You're still gonna call me that?" he asked loudly as the distance between them increased.

"Of course!" she shouted back happily before heading off to the divas' locker room.

* * *

AJ was watching Punk's segment on one of the monitors backstage. She was already decked out in her ring gear with her title around her waist as she watched on at Punk who was mercilessly beat down by Ryback and Curtis Axel. After all was said and done, Punk was lifted up in the air by Ryback who was standing on a production crate before being thrown onto the table nearby. However, he only caught a bit of the table before landing on his back on the concrete floor. AJ simply gasped at what she just saw. She knew that did not go as planned and had a feeling Punk may have gotten injured.

_"That looked like a hard fall. The table barely broke his fall,"_ she thought to herself as she covered her mouth with her hand in concern, hoping the appearance of Dr. Amann on the scene was only to make the segment seem more believable.

"Hey April! We're up!" Layla shouted from behind her, turning her attention away from the monitor. She then walked over to Layla who was accompanied by the other members of her team for the night which consisted of Alicia Fox, Aksana and Tamina.

"Hi, can you girls head out first? I have to check on something," she asked while looking back and forth between a nearby producer and the girls.

"Yeah sure, I think you were going out last anyways," Layla replied as the producer nodded in agreement.

"Thanks," AJ said before all four of them made their way out to the ring for the tag match. The Funkadactyls, Natalya and the Bella Twins then reached the gorilla area with Natalya and Nikki glaring at AJ when they walked by her. She merely glared back and kept her words to herself. Before they made their entrances, Punk came out from the curtains with his arm around Dr. Amann's shoulder, helping Punk to walk.

"Phil, are you ok?" she asked in concern after running up to the pair of them.

"Yeah, a little bit banged up but I'll live," he answered her as they stopped momentarily.

"I'm sorry, April, but we have to do a check up on him at the trainer's room immediately," Dr. Amann informed her urgently.

"Oh, ok. I'll be back later, Phil," she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry about me, April. I'm fine. Good luck out there," he gave her a reassuring smile.

"Thanks," she replied before looking at Dr. Amann, "Please take care of him."

"Will do missy," he said as he nodded in reply, "Now c'mon Phil."

"Oh, look who's sucking up to Punk again, acting like she cares," Nikki commented as she looked on at AJ tending to Punk.

"C'mon, maybe she's genuinely concerned for her friend," Naomi suggested, earning a disapproving look and shake of the head from Nikki.

"C'mon Trin, you really think she cares? She's probably trying to earn some brownie points with Punk so she can keep that title," Nikki said as AJ walked back to the gorilla position.

"Wouldn't surprise me," Natalya added, earning small nods from the twins and Cameron.

"We're up Nikki, let's go," Brie said before pulling her sister through the curtains.

* * *

_**10 minutes later...**_

"Phil!" AJ shouted as she ran up to Punk and hugged him tightly. He had been sitting on the trainer's bed with his legs hanging over the edge while waiting for the results of his check up to be finalised before AJ came running in.

"April, ouh," Punk was caught in shock at his girlfriend's actions but he was enjoying the embrace until some pain shot through his back, "I know you mean well and all but my back is kinda hurting."

"Oops sorry," she quickly apologised and released her embrace.

"It's ok, anyways, Doc was just about to give me the results of the check up," he revealed as AJ turned her head towards Dr. Amann.

"Oh, how is he then?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"Well, he has multiple bruises and scrapes on his back but he's ok. His knee though is still a little banged up and he also has a sore elbow and ankle," Dr. Amann said as he read off the check-up report in his hands.

"In other words, I'm perfectly fine," he simply shrugged.

"Perfectly fine?!" she repeated in surprise, "You need to go and rest."

"Did I hear you just say you're perfectly fine?" Triple H said as he entered the room.

"Ah Hunter, and what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Punk said in an upbeat yet sarcastic fashion.

"Heh, cute. I heard you're fine, am I right?" he asked Punk for confirmation.

"No, he-"

"Yup," Punk quickly said, cutting AJ off.

"Ok, so do you mind heading out there after we go off air to address the crowd?"

"Err, I kinda made plans already," he gave a quick glance at AJ.

"C'mon Punk, it's your hometown. It won't take long, trust me. We just need you to have a little scrap with Paul, Curtis and Ryback again but-" Triple H was in the midst of explaining what would happen when AJ interrupted him.

"A scrap? Did you just not see what happened out there in their last scrap?" AJ asked defiantly, holding up her fingers as air quotes when she said 'scrap' for the second time.

"I promise he won't get hurt," Triple H assured AJ before turning back to Punk, "You'll be doing most of the hitting and then you'll wish the crowd off home."

"Seems reasonable, I'll do it then."

"What?!" AJ shouted in disbelief.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," Triple H said gratefully before heading out of the room but he stopped in his tracks when Punk made his voice heard once again.

"I'm doing this for Chicago, not you," Punk said firmly as Triple H snorted softly.

"I won't have it any other way, Punk," Triple H responded without turning back before eventually leaving the room.

"Are you crazy?! You're gonna get injured again!" AJ said loudly.

"I gotta agree with her, are you sure you can do this?" Dr. Amann asked worryingly.

"Doc, am I cleared to compete?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then there's no issue here, is there?" Punk stopped him from going any further.

"No, I guess there isn't. I'll leave you two to it then."

"But-" AJ started but again was cut off by Punk.

"Thanks Doc."

"Oh, and I'm not trying to intrude or anything but are you two... You know? 'Cause she seems mighty worried about you," Dr. Amann mentioned, causing Punk and AJ to blush a little and look at each other for an answer.

"Y-Yeah, we are... Just, can you keep it between us? We don't want a big fuss around the locker room about it," Punk pleaded after turning his head back to face Dr. Amann.

"Yeah, sure. It's your personal lives, I have no business spreading it around," he promised.

"Thanks again Doc."

"No problem," he replied before looking at AJ, "Try to keep him on a leash. He can be very stubborn."

"I know, I'll try," she giggled softly as she gave him a small smile.

"Alright, see you two around."

"Bye," they both waved him off as he left the room, closing the door but only enough such that there was still a small gap.

AJ proceeded to settle herself in between Punk's legs and rested her hands on his thighs, "Don't do this. What if you get hurt again?"

"I'm not, ok? I'll be fine," he assured her as he rested his hands on her ass.

"How do you know?"

"I don't, but I have a job to do and I love this job. Plus, it's Chicago, my first love. I have to do it for my fellow Chicagoans," Punk said as a red headed diva walked by the door of the trainer's room.

_"Isn't that Punk and AJ? They're so close to one another. Is he touching her ass?!"_ Eva thought as she quickly hid around the corner of the entrance of the room, looking on through the tiny gap.

"I thought I was your first love," she pouted playfully as she gently poked his chest.

"You're a close second as in, one," Punk said as he squeezed one of her butt cheeks and then the other, "And two."

_"He just felt her ass up! They're dating?! I thought he was with Lita? Or are they doing this behind her back? I guess Nikki was right after all! I gotta go tell the other girls," _Eva thought before she swiftly fled towards the divas' locker room.

"You love doing that, don't you?" AJ asked as he nodded in reply.

"Mhmm, now will you stop worrying about me?"

"Ok, just... Just be careful," she rested both her hands on his chest, rubbing them up and down on his chest.

"I will, just wait in the bus. I won't take long," he promised as he took a hold of her hands with his.

"Ok."

"Hey, thanks for caring. It really means a lot to me," he smiled warmly at her.

"It's nothing, I'm just doing what any normal girlfriend would do."

"No, you're doing what an awesome girlfriend would do," he corrected her as AJ's grin grew larger and larger.

"Thanks... You know... We do have some time together before you have to go..." she pulled away her hands from his hold and proceeded to run them up his body until they circled his neck.

"I don't really think my body can handle you right now," he chuckled.

"Oh, but it can handle Curtis and Ryback?"

"Yeah, they're nothing compared to you and that's a compliment," he said as he winked at her.

"Hmmm, then can we... Make out a little," she said teasingly while bringing her face close to his.

"I don't see any lips being a problem on this report so I don't see why we can't," he clarified after looking over to the report that was lying beside him.

"What about tongue?" AJ asked before licking his lips with her tongue.

He looked over at the report once more, noting the non-problem over his tongue, "Nope, not on the report either."

"I'll go lock the door then," she pecked his lips quickly before turning around to walk over to the door.

"Is this gonna be a regular thing? Me and you fooling around on the job?"

"Maybe..." she drawled as the door locked shut with a 'click' sound.

* * *

**~Review~**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

Hello ppl, yes I know, I'm alive?! I'm sorry this took so long but I've been busy packing up stuff and getting ready for my holiday and also I kinda was short on ideas for this one. So yeah, my holiday will be a week long so you'll most probably won't hear from me for at least another week or so.

Till then, happy reading... Hopefully!

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 8 is from...**

**Maizeandbluekid**

"_Though this was a "cooldown" or a "filler" chapter, this was wonderful amounts of filler. AJ figuratively AND literally had Punk in the palm of her hand. That whole scene in the bed had a lot of realistic dialogue attached to it, which is something I always look for in good fics. I also thought her showing concern about Punk's table spot was adorable._

_But alas, the nosy and catty Total Bitches are now gonna be ganging up on AJ again once periodhead Eva tells them what she saw. Hopefully, someone is gonna have AJ's back again when the time comes._

_Now all that's left is the Cubs game. That may be my most anticipated chapter yet! I'm sure you'll knock it out of the park (no pun intended, lol) with it. Good work, SC."_

* * *

_**24 September 2013**_

AJ had just finished going over her match with Cameron for the final time. It was going to be a short match, the usual amount of time the divas are usually given. Although in this case such a short match was understandable considering Cameron's inexperience in one-on-one competition, AJ could not help but wonder what could have been had the follow up for her 'pipebombshell' gone through. A lot of the spotlight would have been shifted to the divas' division and the matches they would have would probably be longer. She had to admit to herself that she was starting to feel a little demotivated and less upbeat when it came to her matches nowadays.

Nevertheless, she luckily had something else she could focus on while at work and that was her relationship with Punk. She had arrived at the BMO Harris Bank Center in Milwaukee together with Punk by using his bus but he decided to just stay in the bus until she was done since he was not on the card for the night. He also chose not to go around backstage and talk with some of the other guys to avoid them asking him why he was there. It was common knowledge to most in the locker room that if CM Punk was not scheduled to be on a show, he would not even be backstage. Still, Punk and AJ made sure to not feel like they were separated from each other by constantly texting to one another. They were slowly becoming each other's addiction and upon entering the divas' locker room, AJ remained glued to her phone before eventually reaching her locker and sitting on the bench in front of it.

"Hey, who ya texting there?" Kaitlyn curiously asked after walking over to AJ as AJ giggled to herself after reading a message from Punk.

"Huh?" AJ simply replied, distracted by the content on her phone. AJ's giggles faded away as she slowly looked up to the two toned diva.

"I said, who are you texting there?" she repeated her question once again as AJ finally looked at her instead of the phone, "You seem to be totally engrossed in it."

"Oh, it's... It's just my sister. She was telling me this funny thing Nacho did," she lied to Kaitlyn, wanting to keep her and Punk's relationship a secret, even from her.

"Oh, anyways, I just came here to give you a little heads up. There's rumours going around about you and Punk but I wouldn't really give it too much of a thought," she informed her as AJ locked her phone and placed it beside her on the bench, giving Kaitlyn her utmost attention.

"What rumours?" AJ asked, giving Kaitlyn a look of complete puzzlement.

"That you and him are fooling around behind Amy's back," she clarified, causing AJ's eyes to widen in surprise.

"What?!" AJ shouted, alerting some of the other divas in the locker room, before softening her voice, "Who told you this?"

"E, he overheard Nick and Mike talking about it," she answered, "According to E, it's basically the talk of the locker room."

"Oh god, how the hell did this even get started?"

"From what E told me, someone allegedly saw you and Punk being all intimate and cosy in one of the rooms," she made it known to AJ as she simply responded with another shriek.

"What?!"

_"Fuck! Somebody saw us?! But the door was closed... I even locked it. How the hell did someone see us?"_ AJ thought momentarily as Kaitlyn continued.

"I know, crazy right? At least make yourself known if you're gonna spread a rumour like that. Don't hide and do it anonymously," Kaitlyn folded her arms and shook her head disapprovingly.

"Yeah..." AJ sighed.

"Oh and to top it off, they're saying there's further proof that something's going on between you two since you wore his shirt at comic con a couple of days ago. I mean, how is that proof? If I remember correctly, Punk recently wore Cesaro's shirt, does it mean they're fucking?" Kaitlyn rhetorically questioned.

"You were simply showing your support for a friend so it really bugs me how this rumour started and is going around. They're dragging your name through the dirt by accusing you of cheating with Punk when that isn't the case at all," she said as some of the other divas in the room looked on at the two of them.

"Ummm, can we talk..." AJ started as she took a quick glance around the room before looking back at Kaitlyn, "Like in private?"

"Huh? Why?" Kaitlyn asked, perplexed.

"We just need to, ok?" AJ stood up from the bench, a little annoyed at her friend's question.

"Wait, it isn't true is it?" she asked in a low voice.

"No!" AJ replied loudly before falling to a whisper, "God no, but it isn't entirely false."

"What do you mean? What did you do?" Kaitlyn quizzed her as AJ frantically surveyed the room, noting the eyes directed at them.

"Just follow me," AJ totally ignored her question and pulled Kaitlyn by her hand towards the exit of the locker room.

"What's that all about?" Brie asked, looking on as AJ left the room with Kaitlyn following behind her.

"Looks like she found out about the rumour and was freaking out about it," Nikki answered as a smirk crept up on her face.

"Wow, if so, what Eva said was true then. She wasn't lying," Brie replied, a little surprised at the news.

"I told y'all her and Punk had something going on," she said with a snap of her fingers in an 'I told you so' attitude, "It was so obvious that something was happening behind the scenes. They hung out together too much to have been just friends. It turns out they're friends with benefits."

"Yeah, you were right after all. I mean, AJ looked like she was having a panic attack just now," Natalya added, a very soft chuckle followed her words.

"Wouldn't you do the same if people found out about your dirty little secret?" Nikki teasingly asked, receiving nods from Brie and Natalya.

"Yeah, I guess so... But... I still can't believe she would do such a thing. She looks up to and respects Amy a lot," Naomi said, still unable to accept the news surrounding AJ.

"Well, she always wanted to be like Amy and now, she's done it," Nikki joked as Brie and Natalya laughed along.

"Stop... That's not funny," Naomi said, crossing her arms in disapproval.

"Lighten up Trin," Nikki playfully shoved Naomi by her shoulder, "Even you know it's fucked up for her to be cheating with the boyfriend of her supposed idol."

"Ugh, can we not gossip about other's personal lives?" Naomi asked, peeved by the whole situation, "I feel uncomfortable back mouthing her when we're also not sure if the story is even true."

"Did you not see how she reacted just now?" Natalya questioned Naomi.

"Maybe she wasn't reacting to the rumour," Naomi replied defensively.

"Doubt it, why else would she constantly look around the room nervously and scream every now and then?" Nikki posed her argument towards Naomi.

"Still, can we talk about something else?" Naomi pleaded for the final time, hoping the girls would just drop the topic entirely.

"Fine goodie two shoes," Nikki hesitantly agreed before cajoling the girls, "We've got a scene to shoot for 'Total Divas' anyways so let's not waste any more time."

* * *

"I think this is quiet enough," AJ commented as she surveyed the office room, making sure it was completely empty.

"Ok, so you mind telling me what's going on?" Kaitlyn asked as AJ finally stopped checking the room.

"I will, once you lock the door," AJ pointed to the door before sitting on the edge of a desk.

"Ugh, fine if it'll finally get you to talk," Kaitlyn said in an annoyed tone as she walked towards the door and locked it.

"Now spill," she instructed AJ as she leaned on the now locked door with her arms folded.

AJ sighed loudly before speaking up, "That rumour is partly true."

"Which part?" Kaitlyn raised an eyebrow before she pushed herself off the door and walked towards AJ, "The fooling around with Punk behind Amy's back?"

"No!" AJ answered defiantly before fiddling with her fingers and looking down at them, "Only the fooling around part..."

"What?! You and him?!" Kaitlyn exclaimed in total shock.

"Yeah..." she confirmed softly, still looking down at her fidgety fingers.

"But how? When? Why?" she asked frantically before shaking AJ by her shoulders, "Gimme details, girl!"

"Ooooooooookaaayyyyyyyy," AJ said before Kaitlyn finally stopped shaking her.

"Well?"

"We were... Kinda... Making out yesterday in one of the trainer's room," she revealed slowly and a little hesitantly as Kaitlyn's jaw dropped.

"You two are dating?!" Kaitlyn said a little too loudly for AJ's liking, "Or is it a friends with benefits kinda thing?"

"We're dating, been dating since last week. And I'm not that kind of girl you know..." AJ crossed her arms, a little annoyed.

"So Amy's not with him anymore?" AJ shook her head in reply.

"He broke up with her to be with me," she revealed as Kaitlyn raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Wow... Does Amy know about you two?"

AJ sighed, "No..."

"What happens when she does find out?" Kaitlyn quizzed the tiny diva, noticing the sudden sadness coming over her.

"Dunno," she sighed once more, "Don't really wanna think about that to be honest."

"Is he worth it though?"

"Yes," she quickly answered, "Yes he is. I like being with him. He makes me happy, very, very happy."

"Ok then, that's all I wanted to hear. Your happiness is the most important thing, nothing else matters," she said reassuringly before placing a hand on AJ's shoulder.

"Thanks, I really appreciate your support," she said as she gave Kaitlyn a warm smile.

"Don't mention it, I've always liked the idea of you two together. Sounds like a great fit," Kaitlyn returned the smile as she removed her hand from AJ's shoulder.

"You've been reading fanfics, haven't you?" AJ teased, holding up her index finger at Kaitlyn.

"From time to time," she replied with a shrug of the shoulders, "Can I just say, people love you guys. There are just so many stories of you two!"

AJ softly chuckled at her friend before sighing, "Well they won't be if this rumour gets out to the dirtsheets."

"It won't. It's not true and there's no proof."

"It's the dirtsheets, they don't need proof or truth. They just need a juicy story."

"Well, whatever the case may be, I'm sure Punk will not let this story get out."

"Phil! Crap!" AJ palmed her forehead, "I totally forgot about him. He's so gonna overreact once he hears about this!"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Kaitlyn asked, perplexed.

"No, he's gonna go up to each guy in the locker room and threaten them until he finds out who started the rumour," she elaborated, her voice tainted with panic.

"Still don't see how that's bad. People know his position back here so if he does do something like that, no one will dare leak it out for fear of being pushed down the card," she explained, trying to bring some comfort to AJ.

"Maybe you're right... But I'm gonna tell him later anyways so he doesn't make a scene back here... But only when the bus is miles away from the arena," AJ chuckled at the end as Kaitlyn laughed along.

"Heh, smart girl. So how's the bus life?" Kaitlyn asked in curiosity.

"It's nice I guess. Better than how we normally travel, that's for sure."

"Awww, I'm jealous," she frowned playfully, "Wait, isn't there a big bed in it?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Have you two... You know... Done it?" Kaitlyn asked as she poked AJ on her shoulder playfully.

"Yeah, just once though," she giggled shyly as a faint, pink blush formed on her cheeks.

"So was it good?"

"It was mind-bogglingly awesome," AJ declared happily, recalling the fateful night her and Punk became intimate with each other for the very first time.

"Whoa, he's that good in bed?" Kaitlyn smiled, happy for her friend, before AJ nodded her head in response.

"Mhmm, he definitely lives up to his name alright," she giggled once more, referring to his 'Best in the World' tag.

"So how was your first date then?" another question left Kaitlyn's lips as her curiosity in her friend's relationship continued to increase.

"Oh, ummm…" she started as she ran her index finger on the desk she was sitting on, "We haven't exactly gone out on a date yet."

"What?! You two are dating but you haven't gone out on a date yet?" Kaitlyn exclaimed in surprise.

"We've been busy, that's all. I wasn't free last week 'cause of comic con and anyways, he's taking me out sometime this week," AJ explained, hoping to play down the situation.

"Oh, I see. So where's he taking you?"

"I don't know, he's been stubbornly keeping it a secret from me," her words stung with annoyance as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I'm sure he means well. He probably planned out something special and didn't wanna ruin it by telling you ahead of time. I think it's sweet that he's keeping it a secret, it sounds much more exciting," Kaitlyn said reassuringly, offering another smile to the tiny diva.

"Yeah, I guess so. I didn't really think about it that way before."

"Of course you didn't, you haven't been in a relationship in a long time, unlike myself," Kaitlyn boasted as she placed her hand over her chest.

"So I take it you and PJ are doing good?" AJ asked Kaitlyn about her relationship for a change.

"More than good, it's been great so far but we're old news. I wanna know more about you and Punk," Kaitlyn quickly changed the topic back to AJ's relationship as AJ merely rolled her eyes and shook her head at her friend's eagerness and interest.

"What else do you wanna know?" AJ questioned with a slight giggle.

"Did you guys just make out in the room?"

"Yup."

"I somehow don't believe that," Kaitlyn crossed her arms as a sly smile formed on her face.

"Ok, maybe we felt each other up a bit but that's it really," AJ admitted.

"Are you sure nothing else happened?" Kaitlyn's smile became bigger and bigger as she moved her index finger in and out of her loose fist of her other hand repeatedly.

"Oh please, we wouldn't dare do that while at work."

"_You're such a liar! You so wanted to screw him in that room if it weren't for his bad back!"_ the voice in AJ's head reprimanded her.

"You never know, maybe that's how people found out about you two," Kaitlyn teased, bringing out a gasp from AJ.

"I'm not that loud!"

"Really April? 'Cause I've heard you scream before and it can be quite deafening," she informed her.

"Not to him, he loves it when I scream his name," AJ defended while folding her arms again.

"Oh, he does?" Kaitlyn's sly smile formed once again as AJ instantly realised she may have divulged too much to her best friend.

"Actually, scratch that. Forget I said anything. Just know we didn't have sex in that room," AJ quickly said, trying to come back on her words.

"Not even a little..." Kaitlyn went on to repeatedly move her loose fist back and forth in front of her mouth as her tongue pricked the inner wall of her cheek.

AJ gasped again in response, "For your information, it hasn't been in my mouth yet."

"Yet?" Kaitlyn snorted at AJ's slip of the tongue.

"Ugh!" AJ groaned loudly as she pushed herself off the desk and walked past Kaitlyn towards the door, "I can't believe I'm talking to you about my sex life."

"Hey, you're the one doing all the talking... Or should I say screaming," Kaitlyn chuckled loudly as AJ unlocked the door.

"Ugh! I hate you!" AJ shouted in irritation before opening the door and slamming it shut on her way out of the room.

* * *

AJ had just finished her match with Cameron and was now making her way towards Punk's bus. She had made a quick change of her clothes but decided to shower in the bus instead because she did not want to waste any more time being away from Punk. Knocking on the door of the familiar vehicle, she was greeted with the sight of the bus driver on the other side of the door.

"Hey April, let me carry your luggage for you," Joe offered before picking her suitcase up and bringing it into the bus.

"Thanks Joe," she replied gratefully before closing the door on her way into the bus.

"No problem missy," he said as he placed her bag down on the floor, "So we good to go?"

"Yup," she simply replied as Joe proceeded to move to the driver's seat and start up the bus. AJ, meanwhile, pushed her rolling suitcase towards the bedroom, eager to see her boyfriend.

"Hi," AJ said after sliding the door open to see Punk reading one of his comics while lying on the bed with his head propped up by a pillow.

"Hey," Punk greeted as he placed the comic down by his side, "How was work?"

"Meh, the usual," she rested her suitcase on its side and kicked off her shoes. She then plopped herself on the bed beside Punk before placing a soft kiss on his lips.

"I missed you," she said with a smile after pulling away from him.

"I missed you too," he said before scrunching up his nose, "Did you shower? You smell a little."

"No I didn't. I wanted to shower here instead," AJ revealed as she rested the side of her head down on the pillow and faced him.

"Why?"

"Because I thought there was no point in showering if I was going to be dirty later anyways," AJ giggled as she ran her hand up and down Punk's upper body.

"Well you should shower then 'cause you're not gonna get dirty tonight," Punk instructed as AJ quickly stopped her hand motion.

"Why not?" she whined sadly, "It's been a week already."

"Well, we're gonna need all the energy we can get since we're going on our first date tomorrow," Punk revealed as AJ quickly crawled on top of his body.

"Our date's tomorrow?" AJ giddily asked as Punk let out a chuckle at her eagerness and placed his hands on her lower back.

"Yup, excited?"

"Very," she beamed a giant smile at him, "So where are we going?"

"You'll find out tomorrow, sweetheart," he teased before pecking her lips.

"Awww," AJ rested her chin on his chest and was now looking up at him, "I hate surprises."

"Trust me, it's better if you don't know where and what we're gonna be doing tomorrow," he reassured.

"_Because you don't wanna know what I have planned," _Punk continued in his head. In all honesty, he was not sure if what he had planned to do for their date was good enough for her and he was extremely nervous about her reaction to it. Keeping it a surprise seemed to be a good idea to him.

"Ok... I trust you," she said as she rested the side of her head on his chest and closed her eyes, enjoying the comfort of his body.

"So you're not gonna take a shower?" he asked, looking down at the top of her head.

"Later…" AJ groaned as she wrapped her arms around his midsection tightly.

"Alright, alright," Punk chuckled as he caressed her long, dark locks with his hand.

* * *

_**25 September 2013**_

AJ woke up the next day to the smell of toast being made. Opening her eyes, she realised Punk had already gotten up from bed. Once she pushed herself up off the bed, she noticed she was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday night. She had somehow managed to unknowingly fall asleep on top of Punk and instead of waking her up, he just let her sleep on top of him even though she still had not showered. Attracted to the sweet smell that had managed to creep through the bedroom door, AJ got off the bed and headed for the door. When she slid open the door, she was greeted with the sight of Punk flipping pieces of bread on a pan.

"You didn't wake me up," she whined softly as she hugged Punk from behind and snuggled the side of her head into his back, causing Punk to simply smile in happiness at the warmth of her body on his.

"You were sleeping so peacefully. I couldn't bear to wake you up," Punk said as he looked over his shoulder to see AJ still burying her head into his back.

"You should've woken me up. Now I just dirtied the bed," she mumbled as Punk shifted his focus back onto the toast he was making.

"The only thing you dirtied was my clothes," Punk chuckled as AJ's head shot up from his back.

"I slept on top of you for the entire night?" AJ asked in surprise as she manoeuvred her head so that she could see the side of his face.

"Yup, like a baby."

"I'm sorry," she apologised, burying her head once more into his back, "It must have been hard for you to sleep with me on top of you."

Punk quickly turned his body so that she would be facing his front instead. He then lifted her chin up with his hand so that their eyes could meet, "Don't apologise. It was the best sleep I've ever had."

"Really?" AJ asked as a smile slowly etched onto her face.

"Definitely, it was so warm and comfortable and your heartbeat was so soothing. Plus, you're not that heavy if you hadn't noticed," Punk chuckled as AJ playfully slapped his chest.

"So what are you cooking over here?" she asked, looking around Punk's body to see what was on the pan.

"Just some French toast. In fact, the rest of your breakfast is actually ready over there," he said, motioning with his head towards the dining table where two plates of food lay.

"My breakfast?" she repeated before letting go of her hold on Punk and moving over to the table.

"Yup, all your-" a 'ding' sound interrupted Punk before he looked over to the coffee maker, "Oh sweet, coffee's ready."

"Phil, you didn't have to go through all of this trouble," AJ said as she looked over the food that lay on the plates. It consisted of eggs, pancakes, hash browns and pieces of bacon.

"Oh but I want to. I've been meaning to cook for you so here it is," he revealed as he took out the carafe from the coffee maker and made his way towards the table with it.

"This is a lot Phil, how long did you take to cook all of this?" AJ sat on the seat, amazed at the food on display.

"It didn't take that long. Hopefully you'll like it," he proceeded to pour the coffee into the cups that accompanied the plates of food, "And there you go, breakfast is served."

"Wow," that was all that escaped AJ's lips as she still could not believe her boyfriend had managed to do all of this.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot about the toast," he swiftly took the pan off the induction cooker and slid the pieces of toasted bread onto both of their plates, "There, now breakfast is officially served."

"There's just so much, I feel full just looking at it," AJ commented as she held a fork and knife in her hands.

"It's not that much," Punk chuckled as he sat across her before picking up his utensils off the table, "C'mon now, dig in."

He watched on as AJ started on the eggs, "I didn't know how you liked your eggs so I made both scrambled and sunny side up-"

"Holy crap! This is delicious!" AJ said out loud in pure satisfaction after taking in a mouthful of scrambled eggs, "What the hell did you put in this?"

"Just some seasoning, pepper, salt. The usual," Punk chortled as he witnessed her taking another bite of the eggs.

"No way, you had to have put something else in this," she said before quickly stuffing the already last piece of scrambled eggs into her mouth.

"Love," he answered simply, causing AJ to almost spit out her food in laughter.

"Too cheesy?" Punk chuckled as AJ managed to swallow her food back down.

"Kinda," she giggled before placing her hand on top of his which was resting on the table, "But it was sweet, like the rest of this meal."

"You haven't even tasted the rest of the food, especially the pancakes," he emphasised on the pancakes he made using a recipe of Natalie's which he was very proud of.

"I don't need to, I know it'll be nice," she smiled warmly at him before she continued with the rest of her meal. For the rest of the time, the room was just filled with constant approving moans from AJ as she thoroughly enjoyed the food Punk had cooked for her. He was glad that he could make AJ this happy and he hoped it would carry on for the rest of the day.

"Where are we?" AJ asked as she looked out the windows, finally realising that they had been stationary since she woke up. The view through the windows featured rows of houses and shops on either side of a street which the bus was currently parked on.

"My house," he answered as he picked up both their empty plates and placed them in the dishwasher.

"Y-Your house?" AJ stuttered momentarily while casting her eyes back and forth between the two windows either side of her.

"Yup, it's the beige building on your left, beside the yellow one," he informed her as she got off her seat and leaned against the couch, looking out the window to see a three storey building with three big windows cascading on its front.

"This whole building is your house?!"

"Nah, only the top two floors. The bottom floor is a tattoo shop which I collect rent from," he said as he closed the dishwasher after putting in all of their used plates and utensils and headed to the bedroom to fetch her luggage.

"I see..." AJ's voice softened to a whisper as she admired his house which just from the outside, was already much bigger than her own apartment.

"Well, you ready to see inside?" Punk walked over to her with her rolling suitcase in his hand.

"Hell yeah!" her excitement knew no bounds as she leapt off the couch and moved towards her luggage bag, "But first, I gotta take a shower in here. It'll only take fifteen minutes."

"My house is just a couple of feet away and you wanna take a shower in the bus?" Punk sniggered.

"Oh, but I don't wanna intrude..."

"Nah, you're not," he closed the gap between their bodies until barely an inch separated them.

"You're my girlfriend now, I'd hardly call you an intruder," his words ended with a soft chuckle as he moved a couple of loose strands of hair away from her face, reddening her cheeks in turn.

"Thanks," she simply uttered, almost breathless as she looked deeply into the emerald orbs of the Voice of the Voiceless.

"And plus, you'll need to get used to using the bathroom in my house since you'll be staying over for the night," he added with a wink.

"I will?"

"Yeah you will. I have an entire day planned out so you're stuck here until at least tomorrow," he brought his arms to her lower back and softly pulled her towards him.

"Phil, I don't wanna cause too much trouble for you. I can always leave for Tampa tonight after we're done," she said, drawing circles with her finger on his chest.

"It's no trouble at all. Plus, you know how hard it is to sleep on the plane. Sleep in my comfortable bed instead and first thing in the morning, you'll leave for your flight," he suggested. AJ bit her lip, thinking about his offer for a moment before eventually making her decision.

"Ok, sounds like a plan," she grinned at him, "I'll book a flight for tomorrow then."

"That's my girl."

"Yup, now give your girl a kiss," she said, puckering her lips and getting on her tippy toes to move in for a kiss. Punk reacted by quickly moving his head away from her as AJ expressed a look of complete puzzlement.

"What the-"

"I'll only kiss you after you get yourself cleaned," Punk said, pulling away from her and reaching for her suitcase. AJ pouted and tilted her head down slightly with her eyes looking up at him like an adorable puppy, trying to change his mind.

"That isn't gonna work, April. Now go, let's not waste any more time," he pulled her suitcase in between them and lightly pushed it against her body, signalling for her to move.

"Fine," she groaned as she turned around and made her way to the exit of the bus. After getting off the bus, she had noticed that the bus driver's seat was empty when she walked by. When Punk finally stepped off the bus with her luggage, AJ spoke up.

"Where's Joe? Are we really gonna leave the bus here like this?"

"He's having breakfast in one of the cafés nearby. He'll fetch the bus when he comes back. Don't you worry, sweet cheeks," he told AJ as he closed the bus door.

He then led her to his house, passing by the tattoo shop and his car garage before taking a very short lift ride to the second floor. Once the doors parted, they walked a couple more feet until they arrived at a plain black door with a bluish, see through glass window panel above it.

"Welcome to my home," Punk said gleefully after opening the door and letting AJ in first.

"Whoa," that was all that merely escaped her lips as she walked past the kitchen and dining table which was flashy to say the least.

"Since when were you so into such… Such... Extravagant home interior?" she struggled finding a word to describe what her surroundings looked like.

"It came like this when I bought it but I actually quite like it," he revealed as he rested her luggage against the kitchen counter. AJ, in the meantime, continued looking around his lavish living room.

"This is crazy what you have in here. You have these big, black rectangular blobs stuck to the wall which serves no other purpose apart from decoration," she said, holding her hand out at the design of the wall behind the big TV as Punk chuckled at her jealous-like whining.

"Oh, and then you have a freaking cactus here," she shifted her hand towards the spine infested plant beside the couch, "Like why the hell do you need a cactus in here? It's not the desert and the thorns are just a pain in the ass."

Punk carried on laughing to himself as his girlfriend continued to ramble on and on about his house, "Your windows are thirty feet high and for some reason, you need three of them. Your kitchen is beautiful and you have a painting over there which I still can't for the life of me figure out what it's supposed to be."

"Seriously Phil, you could literally fit in at least thirty people in here and there'll still be more than enough room for more," she added, finally shifting her eyes back to him.

"You done?" Punk asked with a light laugh while his chin was propped up by his arm on the kitchen counter. For the entire time AJ was going on about his house, he had been just sitting on one of the bamboo stools that were adjacent to the counter and admiring her.

"Not really, I've seen at least three other things that I wanna comment on but I'll be out of breath by then," AJ said as she walked over to where Punk was sitting.

"It's what you get for two million dollars," he informed her with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Two million?!" her jaw simply dropped.

"What? You can't believe I spent that much on this house?"

"Kinda, I never took you as someone who spends lavishly, that's all," she said, leaning her side against the kitchen counter.

"It's true, I don't spend that much but I thought for a place I would probably call my home for the rest of my life, I should put a little more thought into it and not make money an issue," he explained.

"I bought this house not just for me but also for the family I might have one day," he added as a smile tugged on the corners of his lips. AJ returned the smile, hoping he thought of her when it came to his future family.

"Anyways, enough about me. You need some soap and water on you pronto. Follow me," Punk jumped off his seat and walked past her towards the staircase.

AJ responded by crossing her arms and glaring at him, "I don't smell that bad."

"You do, considering I'm too used to the sweet smell you always give off," he said as he stopped at the base of the flight of stairs to look at her blushing somewhat.

"Seriously, how do you come up with all of these sweet, romantic lines?" AJ asked, walking the same path Punk was on towards the stairs.

"It's a gift," he declared proudly before climbing the stairs with AJ following right behind him.

After getting to the top of the stairs and passing by three bedrooms, they finally reached the bathroom AJ was going to use.

"Oh... My... God..." AJ said breathlessly once she entered the bathroom, "T-This is your bathroom?"

"Yup, master bathroom to be exact. There's two more but this is the only one with a Jacuzzi," he said as he leaned his back against the wall near the door.

"Phil, this bathroom is bigger than the entire living room of my house!" AJ exclaimed, earning a chuckle from Punk.

"Your house is just an apartment, you can't compare mine with yours."

"Hm, maybe you should rethink this whole dating thing. You're totally out of my league," she jokingly mocked as Punk laughed as well.

"Nonsense. Anyways, there's also a dresser there for you to do your makeup but I have a feeling that will be of no use to you," he pointed to the dresser as he lightly laughed, knowing AJ hates applying makeup to her face and dolling herself up.

"Yeah, you know me too well," she replied with a chuckle, "I'll go down and take my clothes and stuff I need. Thanks for everything, Phil."

"No problem, short stuff. If you need anything else, just call me, ok?" Punk was just about to leave the room when AJ suddenly pushed him back against the wall he had been leaning on.

"All I need is your lips after I'm done here Punkybear so you better keep them warm for me," she said slowly in a hushed tone, licking her lips and biting her bottom lip as she looked back and forth between his eyes and his lips.

"Y-Yes ma'am," he saluted her playfully.

"Good boy," she patted his cheek before leaving the room with an extra skip in her step.

* * *

After AJ was done showering, the best shower she had ever taken, she walked back down the steps and saw Punk sitting down on the sofa nearest to the windows and watching an episode of the 'Walking Dead' on TV with a half-eaten banana in his hand.

"Did you keep your promise?" AJ asked in a seductive manner as she straddled his hips, taking his attention away from the TV screen.

"Oh, of course. I've been warming them up, you see," he wagged the banana he had been eating in front of her face. AJ instantly grabbed his wrist, stopping his hand movement. She parted her lips and slowly engulfed the banana while looking deep into his eyes. She stopped once she could not go any further and then bit the large chunk off, chewing it to smaller pieces. When she swallowed it down, she could feel his member growing hard from under her.

"Wow, just like that and already you're hard," she lightly chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and moved closer to his face.

"That was so hot, I couldn't help it," he replied with a small laugh before pushing himself off the couch and closing the gap between their lips. Not one second had passed since their lips connected and both of them were already inviting their tongues to the party. Soft moans from the both of them, especially AJ, started to fill the massive room as they continued ravaging each other with their eyes completely shut in enjoyment.

"You... Smell... So... Good..." Punk said in between kisses as AJ smiled against his lips. Punk then tossed the remaining remnants of his banana aside and brought his hands to her hips, hooking his fingers into the belt loops of her cut up jeans and pulling her closer to him. They continued making out in that same position for roughly the next five minutes before AJ's hands started to roam. They descended his orange, skin tight shirt as her lips and tongue continued to work their magic until she eventually felt his belt buckle. She was just about to release the belt from the buckle when he quickly pulled away, summoning a loud groan from AJ.

"Phil..." AJ whimpered as her hands stayed still at his buckle, ready to open it up at any time.

"I'm sorry April, we can't do this right now. We're gonna be late," he said before moving her hands away from his waistline. AJ rolled off of him reluctantly and sat down beside him as another groan escaped her mouth.

"What guy rejects afternoon sex?"

"Not me," he said with a smile before moving in for a quick peck on her lips, "Except for today."

"Fine... Where are we going?" AJ asked, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Somewhere you've never been before," he teased as a light snort came from AJ.

"I've only been to Chicago a couple of times, of course the majority of the places here are places I've never been to."

"God, you can be so snarky at times," he chuckled softly.

"But you like it," she giggled as she pushed her head off his shoulder and tilted his head towards her before going in for a brief kiss.

"Mhmm, yes I do," he said after they pulled away, "Now let's go. Bring along your jacket, Chicago can get very cold."

Punk and AJ both made their way out of the house and to his car garage. When she saw the car they were about to ride in, a Mercedes CLS 63, another gasp evoked from AJ as she wondered just how he could afford all of this. The ride itself lasted approximately twenty minutes and the time was mostly spent with AJ pestering Punk on where they going before they eventually pulled up at a parking lot of a large building. After exiting the car, they set off on foot for the entrance of the building.

"What's this building?" AJ queried, walking side by side with Punk.

"You'll see," he replied with a grin as he waved at some people who were chanting 'CM Punk' at him. After turning the corner, her question was answered when she looked up to see a giant red welcoming sign which read 'Wrigley Field, Home of Chicago Cubs'.

"Baseball?"

"Yup," Punk confirmed with another grin as they walked past the gate, entering the 99 years old ballpark.

"Phil, I'm gonna be honest here. I've never been to a baseball game before and I don't really follow it," she admitted, a worried look forming on her face.

"I know, it doesn't matter to me. I just want to share with you what I love to do in my spare time," he shrugged as they walked out into the light to see a large field.

"Whoa," she uttered. Even though she had seen a baseball field many a times on TV, it was somehow different to see it in person. It was much bigger and grander than what she had imagined.

"And our seats are right... Here," Punk announced as he looked at the tickets in his hands to double check that the seats were theirs.

"Whoa, we're so close to the field and the players," she commented, sitting down on the dark green seats beside Punk which were only two rows away from the field and one concrete wall away from the players' dugout.

"This must've cost a fortune, Phil," she remarked, turning her attentions back to Punk.

"Compared to the normal seats, it did but I love being close to the action. Plus, there'll be lesser people around to bother us," he said, bringing AJ's eyes to the deserted seats surrounding them.

"You wouldn't need to buy these seats if you weren't such a cult hero here," she said with a smirk.

"I'm not a hero. Chicago just happens to not have much going on at the moment in sports other than Derrick Rose and the Blackhawks. But still, the people here will support anyone who represents Chicago and I just happen to be one of them," he revealed as his Chicago pride started showing through.

"It must be a pain though to live in a city where everyone recognises you. Do you ever get any privacy?"

"Ironically, Chicago's the only place where people are constantly friendly towards me and respect my privacy. I rarely get bothered when walking around the city," he said as AJ's eyebrows ascended in surprise.

"Wow, I thought for sure you'd get the movie star treatment. Guess someone isn't as big a star as they think," AJ teased, smirking once more at him.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not. I'm only a wrestler who makes millions of dollars and has just as many fans and who just happens to have had his documentary premiered at a theatre and the DVD sell remarkably well. I'm not like AJ Lee who-" Punk instantly fell to a hush, tapping his lips repeatedly with his index finger in deep thought as AJ sighed and rolled her eyes, "Who… Hmmm… Errr-"

"You're such an egotistical ass," she cut him off as she shook her head.

"Thank you," he contentedly accepted her insult and leaned back against his seat, "Now hush, the game is about to start."

"_Boys and their sports," _she thought with a shake of the head before taking the opportunity to get close to him by leaning on the armrest that separated her and Punk, leaving a little less than half of her seat unoccupied.

Punk enjoyed her being in such close proximity to him while he watched his hometown team play and for the next two innings, they remained in that same position as their bodies radiated much needed warmth to each other amid the cold of Chicago. AJ seized the chance to take a quick peek at Punk during one of the many pauses in play, pulling her hair to one side and turning her head towards him.

"_I can't tell if he's bored like me or focused on the game. One thing's for sure, he looks absolutely yummy,"_ AJ told herself in her head before casting her gaze back to the game.

"Hah, caught you staring," Punk said, donning a stupid grin after turning his head to face her.

"I was not!" she denied vehemently.

"Yeah you were, you just can't resist me, can you?" his grin grew larger and larger, growing hand in hand with his ego.

"Ugh, not everything has to be about you, you know?"

"Ok then, what or who were you looking at then?" he put her on the spot as his grin remained the same.

"Errr…" AJ started as she pushed up the bridge of her spectacles, trying to think of a believable and valid answer.

"_Don't feed his already big ego, April. The last thing you want is him gloating about your overwhelming urge to just tear his clothes off right here, right now,"_ she bit her lip, thinking for a moment while looking to her left before coming up with an answer, "The players sitting over there."

"They're interesting to look at?" Punk asked in disbelief in an 'are you kidding me?' tone.

"Well, yeah... It's not like there's anything interesting happening in front of me," she sneered, causing Punk to let out a laugh.

"Ouch, that's my pastime you're talking about," he playfully pouted, placing his hand over his chest.

"You're a big boy, you can handle criticism," she giggled, poking his cheek, "I just don't know how you can sit here for so long with barely anything happening."

"Yeah, there are a lot of delays in baseball. They even stop play for commercials but once something happens, it's exciting. You just have to be patient," he tapped her nose when he said 'you', causing her to giggle shyly.

"Alright, I'll give it a chance," she returned to lean on her arm rest, practically snuggling up to his arm and leaving no space between them.

"Any closer and you'll be sitting on my lap," Punk chuckled, looking down at their arms kissing one another.

"I could just sit waaaaaaaaay over there," she said as she turned her head to face the empty part of her seat.

"I didn't say I didn't like you being so close to me," he nudged her on the arm with his, "I just thought you didn't want to show any PDA in case the fans find out."

"It's a baseball game, Phil. There's thousands of people in here, they won't know we're even here," she said, playing down the chances of them getting caught acting like a couple.

"Plus, I really like snuggling up to my boyfriend. It's just so warm and nice," AJ flirtatiously added, pushing her arm against him even more.

"Yeah, it really is," he agreed with AJ as he looked on at her trying to focus on the game.

_"She's so adorable and loving. I really am the luckiest guy in the world right now,"_ Punk admitted in his thoughts with a smile on his face before turning back to concentrate on the game.

AJ actually slowly started to enjoy herself as the game progressed. Whether it was because she was finally understanding why people enjoy watching baseball or because she was spending the time with someone special, she had to admit it was so far going great. Sure she had to ask Punk every now and then what was happening but he was more than willing to explain it to her. When the game reached the seventh inning, one of the players batted a foul ball into the sky and it was falling into Punk and AJ's vicinity.

"Phil! The ball!" AJ shouted, pointing to the ball that was heading towards them.

"I got it, I got it," Punk declared, standing up and holding his hands up to catch the ball as AJ covered her head with her hands. It was her first baseball game after all so she did not really know how to react to a ball coming at her other than to cower in fear and hope it did not hit her.

"There," he said after successfully catching the ball.

"My hero," she claimed playfully, clasping her hands together as Punk went back to sit down on his seat, now with a ball in his hands.

"Ah, saving the fearful damsel in distress. Didn't think I'd be doing that during a baseball game," he let out a hearty laugh as AJ slapped him on the arm.

"The ball was dropping really fast, I thought it was gonna hit me," she defended.

"Well you thought wrong, nothing's gonna hit you while your knight in shining armour is here," Punk boasted as he threw the ball in the air and caught it repeatedly. AJ rolled her eyes and accompanied it with several shakes of the head. He was such a Casanova with his words and she was just about to reply to him when a bald headed man in a lavender shirt sat behind Punk and placed his hand on top of his shoulder.

"CM Punk," the man said.

"Vijay!" Punk greeted in an upbeat tone after he turned his head back to face the man. The man was in fact the traveling secretary for the Chicago Cubs, Vijay Tekchandani. He was in charge of the traveling needs of the players and also happened to be a friend of Punk's. He was the one who managed to book these amazing seats for Punk and AJ.

"How's it going, man?"

"I'm good, especially since we're winning which hasn't been happening much as of late," Vijay dryly laughed.

"Yeah, I'm fortunate that I managed to come to a game where the Cubs are actually winning," Punk laughed along before a thought came across his mind, "Crap, where are my manners. Vijay, this is my girlfriend, April."

Punk turned towards AJ, introducing Vijay to his girlfriend.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, April Brooks," Vijay offered his hand as AJ's cheeks were shaded with a hint of pink.

"Nice to meet you too," AJ replied shyly with a shake of his hand. Although his light playful jab did embarrass her, she could not help but like the sound of 'April Brooks'. She thought it had a nice ring to it. It was also weird having Punk introduce her as his girlfriend. It was new to her but eventually she would get used to it and like hearing it. It undeniably did bring a smile to her face, knowing Punk was proud to show her off on his arm.

"Damn it Vijay, not one minute has passed and already you're embarrassing my girlfriend," Punk hit him on the arm with his clenched fist which was still holding onto the ball as Vijay lightly laughed.

"I'm just joking around. I hope I didn't offend you, Miss-" Vijay said in an apologising tone before pausing to get to know her real last name.

"Mendez, but you can just call me April. No need to be so formal," she offered a warm smile which Vijay happily returned in kind.

"Alright April, I hope you're having a wonderful time here."

"I am, thanks to this guy over here," she nudged Punk on the arm this time around.

"Ah, the boyfriend who just happened to catch the ball just now," Vijay jokingly mocked, "You know, I actually came here to offer you a brand new ball."

"Not interested Tekchandani," Punk replied quickly.

"Are you sure?" Vijay received a new ball from one of his staff members before showing it to Punk, "It's new and has that fresh baseball smell, unlike the one you're holding."

"Do you really think I'm stupid? You got that from the souvenir shop, didn't you?" Punk accused him in a light hearted manner as Vijay broke out into laughter.

"It's authentic, Phil. Honest," he innocently claimed as Punk just shook his head.

"Nope, not giving up this ball."

"You sure?" Vijay asked again as he placed his fist which was clenching the 'new' ball on Punk's shoulder, offering it to him one last time.

"Nah, keep it," Punk said as a soft chuckle followed before turning his attentions back to the game.

"Alright, suit yourself," Vijay said, handing the ball back to his worker.

Punk and Vijay continued to talk between themselves for the next five minutes with the topic of conversation mainly being baseball and what each of them had been doing since they last met. In the midst of their conversation, Vijay was alerted by a vibration from his phone in the pocket of his pants. After he took it out and read the message, he patted Punk's shoulder, "Well, I hope you and April will enjoy the rest of your time here, I need to get going soon. You sure you don't want a new ball? Last offer."

"You're going to have to pry this ball out of my hands, baldy," Punk joked as Laura Ricketts, one of the board of directors of the Cubs, and AJ laughed along with Vijay.

"You just had to go there, huh Punk?" Vijay asked, trying to stifle his giggles.

"It's not my fault you can no longer grow your hair. I'm keeping this game ball, Vijay, and don't you dare offer me again, you hair follicle challenged man," Punk continued to hurl insults as Vijay just dropped his head in shame and light laughter. During all of this, AJ was just looking up at Punk and giggling like a school girl who has a massive crush on the school jock.

"I'll give you one thing though, you sure are persistent. If I wanted a new ball, I would go down to the shop myself and buy one," Punk added as AJ nodded along.

"Ok, ok, I give up," Vijay said, admitting defeat.

Punk tapped Laura on the shoulder, causing her to turn back her head to face him, "Can you believe him Laura?"

"Trying to offer a man a so called new ball for a game ball. I'm no fool, Vijay," Punk said out loud so Vijay could hear clearly.

"Yeah, yeah, blame a guy for trying to treat his guests right," Vijay said with a roll of the eyes before standing up from his seat, "Anyways, I really hope you two continue to have a good time here. I have to go. See you soon!"

"Bye!" both AJ and Punk replied.

"Thanks for everything, Vijay," Punk said gratefully.

"No problem, if you need any tickets in the future, just give me a ring," Vijay reminded him, walking away while waving goodbye at the two of them.

After Vijay left, Punk and surprisingly AJ continued to enjoy themselves as the Cubs notched a 4-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs players then stopped between the third-base line and their dugout to salute the fans who gave them a standing ovation in turn.

"Is this normal?" AJ practically shouted over the loud screaming of the fans, moving closer to Punk to make herself heard.

"No, not really. It's because this is the last home game of the season," Punk replied just as loudly.

"Ohhhh, I see," she bobbed her head as the players tipped their caps and waved at the fans before eventually retreating into the home locker room for the last time this season.

"So where are we going now?" AJ asked as her and Punk walked past the gate, exiting the legendary ballpark.

"One of my favourite places to eat," he gleefully answered before reaching to his parked car. He opened the door for AJ and closed it when she got in. He then shuffled his feet around the front of the car to the driver side door before opening it and entering his car.

"I had a really good time," she smiled warmly at him as she placed her hand over his which was gripping the handbrake.

"Me too, and to top it all off, the Cubs actually won! We haven't been doing that much this season..."

"Really? But they played so well out there!"

"That could be because it's the last home game or..." Punk inched his face closer and closer to hers, "It could be because they had a good luck charm sitting in the stands who looked breathtakingly beautiful."

"I think it's the latter," she chuckled softly before closing the gap between them as they shared a loving kiss, one which had AJ's body lean over the center of the car slightly. AJ's right hand moved to the back of his neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. They continued to enjoy each other's lips before a car horn jerked their heads away from each other.

"Did someone see us?" AJ asked in a panic state, quickly settling herself back on her seat.

"I don't think so," Punk replied a little unsure as he looked through the front and side windows, "I guess it was just some guy abusing his horn."

"Hopefully, could you imagine the dirtsheets if they somehow get a picture of us being all intimate with one another?" AJ questioned in a rhetoric manner.

"I doubt they care," he said in an attempt to calm her down as he started the ignition.

_"They will, considering they'll have the proof they need to justify that stupid rumour! Should I tell him about it? But I don't wanna ruin this date... I'll just tell him first thing in the morning before I leave,"_ AJ pondered while the car exited the parking lot.

* * *

The time it took to get to their next destination was incredibly short. They barely had any conversation between them before they arrived at a pizza place, 'Giordano's' to be exact. After informing the attendant, who was handling the long line of people who wanted to get in, their reservation, a waiter led Punk and AJ to a cushioned booth which surrounded a table with a red and white chequered table cloth on it.

"Whoa, the food here must be really good since there was such a long line out there," AJ commented as she picked up the menu.

"Yeah it is. In fact, the reason I brought you here is to let you taste Chicago style stuffed pizza," Punk said, looking over the menu.

"Stuffed pizza? I've never tasted those before," she revealed, putting her menu back down to look at Punk.

"Well, it's your lucky day then," Punk said in an upbeat manner, "We're gonna be eating the cheese with two ingredients. I'll pick sausage as one of the ingredients. What about you?"

"Errr..." she started as she skimmed through the list of ingredients on the menu with her finger, "Pepperoni, yeah pepperoni."

"Ok then, waiter!" he called over the same server that brought them to their table before placing their order.

They spent the next twenty minutes or so waiting for their pizza to arrive while chit chatting on all their favourite topics, ranging from the comics they were reading at the moment to the latest games they had been playing. When the pizza did eventually reach their table on a raised platter, AJ's eyes widened in shock.

"This is a pizza?!"

"Yup," Punk laughed to himself seeing the look on AJ's face right now.

"It looks like a pie!" she commented, poking the top of the pizza lightly with her fork and retreating away as if it was going to explode.

"It's not going to hurt you, April," he laughed as he cut up the pizza for her.

"It looks like a bloated pizza, I thought for sure it was just gonna spew its insides out," she said as Punk placed a slice of the pizza on her plate.

"Thanks."

She bowed her neck to be eye level with the slice of pizza in front of her, "Wow, it's basically dripping in cheese."

"Yup, eat up before all of its insides flow out," Punk advised before taking a chunk out of his slice. AJ mirrored Punk's movements and consumed a bite of the pizza.

"Mmm, this is delicious! The cheese just fills your mouth!" AJ exclaimed in pure happiness and satisfaction.

"I knew you'd like it," he said as AJ just nodded with a small smile while chewing the mouthful of food.

They continued to enjoy the deep dish pizza they ordered while picking up from where their last conversation ended before AJ remembered something.

"Oh wait, aren't you on a pescetarian diet?" AJ asked.

"I was, but my body is starting to feel a little jaded. I need some meat in this body," he chuckled, patting his already full stomach.

"Are you still feeling the effects of that botched table spot?" AJ questioned in concern, referring to the segment where Ryback messed up Punk's landing.

"Not really," he said with a shake of the head, "It's the other small injuries I'm dealing with."

AJ squinted her eyes at him, "Small?"

"Yes, small, like you," he mocked.

"I thought you like me being small."

"I do, it's much easier to dominate you in bed," Punk grinned slyly at her.

"Ugh, don't think so highly of yourself. I could've easily overpowered you the last time," she claimed confidently.

"Oh really?"

"Is that a challenge?"

"I'm up for it if you are," he said challengingly.

"I am but we still have some more pizza left," she looked at the last two big pizza slices on the platter.

"I can get it to go, unless you're already chickening out of it," another sly grin formed on his face.

"No way! You're on! Waiter!"

* * *

They left the pizzeria and headed to Punk's house in record time as their urges to prove each other wrong and to just screw each other's brains out just became so unbearable. When they reached the front door of his house, AJ impatiently turned the door handle and pushed the door open the instant Punk had unlocked the door.

"Someone's a little impatient," Punk chuckled as he closed the door behind him and turned on the lights while AJ took her sneakers off.

"You took too long," AJ said before pulling the plastic bag carrying their leftover pizza off his wrist vigorously and shuffling her feet towards the fridge with it. Punk, meanwhile, tossed the ball he had caught earlier to the sofa closest to the windows before moving over to where she was.

"You really wanna prove me wrong, don't you?" he laughed as AJ closed the fridge door after filling it with their food. She gave no reply other than pushing him up against the end of the kitchen counter and giving him a hard, intoxicating kiss. As their lips moved in perfect synchronisation against each other, his hands fell to her ass where every now and then, he would give it a firm squeeze. Each squeeze was met with an instinctive little moan from her. She just enjoyed having him touch her this way and wanted more, way more. It was as if Punk had read her mind as he quickly turned them around so that AJ's ass was up against the edge of the counter. His hands tantalisingly descended to her thighs as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He broke the connection between their lips momentarily before lifting her up so that she was sitting on the counter with her legs dangling over the edge. Punk swiftly returned to her lips as she circled his neck once again and opened up her legs so that he could settle between them. Their lips parted as their mouths welcomed each other's tongue contentedly. As their tongues danced to the beat of their ever-increasing heartbeats, Punk's hands zeroed in on the zipper of AJ's hoodie.

"You… Really… Wanna… Do it… Here…?" Punk asked her in between their wet kisses.

"Mhmm, less talking, more stripping," she mumbled against his lips before Punk responded by smiling against hers. He zipped open her black jacket and took it off of her body vigorously. After throwing the jacket onto the ground, he reached for the hem of her white cotton shirt. Surprisingly to Punk, she slapped his hands away and pulled away from him.

"Wha-"

"I'm taking things over from here," she adamantly declared before taking her top off and throwing it behind her, in turn showing off a plain white bra. She then pulled his shirt off quickly and discarded it behind her as well. She buried her head into the side of his neck, placing wet kisses on it. Punk closed his eyes in pleasure while AJ's hands moved slowly down his body, caressing his bare skin. When her hands eventually reached the waistline of his jeans, she used one of her hands to feel his member through the relatively thick fabric. She rubbed her hand up and down his groin continuously, moving unhurriedly from the top of his waistline to the split of his pants.

"April," he groaned loudly as the bulge in his jeans grew bigger and bigger, "Just take it off."

She responded by moving her head up to his ear, kissing his neck along the way.

"Your wish is my command, Punkybear," she whispered seductively, quickly unbuttoning his jeans. She then pulled his zipper down and bent her legs, hooking her big toes through the belt loops of his jeans before pulling it down with just her legs.

"God, that's sooooo hot... I love how flexible you are," he said breathlessly after getting out of his jeans completely.

"And I love how hot you look like without any clothes on," she giggled, eyeing his body up and down as he took off his sneakers. When he was done, he just stared at her shirtless upper body.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Come and get your prize," she giggled as Punk snapped out of his staring.

"I just… I just still can't believe I have you," he said, reverting his gaze back to her chocolate eyes, "I don't know what I did to deserve you."

"You were just yourself," she pulled him towards her, "And that's all you'll ever need to do to be with me."

"I promise, I'm gonna make it worth your while," he said as he caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

"I'm sure you will," she smiled lovingly towards him before giving him a peck on the lips, "And I'm sure you will right now."

Punk smirked, knowing what she meant before pulling her face towards his. Their lips met once more as the palm of his hand covered her cheek, his thumb rubbing it on occasions. His other hand, in the meantime, moved to the button of her jeans. Making short work of it, he pulled the zipper down and broke the kiss reluctantly. He tugged on her jeans with his hands as she pushed herself up off the counter slightly so he could pull it down all the way. They resumed their open mouth kissing, their hands roaming and venturing both of their bare bodies at the same time. After a while, Punk's hands started to settle at her red panties but instead of tugging it off of her, he pushed it to one side and inserted a finger into her already wet center. AJ immediately jerked away from his lips, rolling her head back and keeping her eyes shut in utter pleasure as a loud gasp escaped her lips.

"Oh…" she moaned loudly repeatedly as she felt him exploring her insides.

"Say my name, April," his tone fell to a whisper as he continued to finger her.

"Phil…" she moaned softly as Punk kept his gaze fully on AJ's face, noticing her slowly scrunching up her face.

"Louder."

"Phil…" she moaned louder as she felt her orgasm coming closer.

"Louder April, scream for me," he said firmly as he inserted another finger into her.

"Phil!" she shouted loudly in surprise while Punk grinned in happiness, "Oh god Phil, your touch is so… Oh! Go-o-o-d-d."

AJ was starting to lose control, her voice breaking up after he thrust deep into her.

"That's it April, just let it all go," he whispered once more as she fell back on the counter, unable to handle it anymore. Her eyes remained shut while her fingers gripped onto the edges of the counter, feeling her climax coming very close. The very same eyes shot open when his fingers all of a sudden exited her. Tilting her head up slightly, she lost sight of Punk's body.

"_What the fuck?! He left me high and dr-"_ her thoughts stopped immediately when she felt something else enter her core, something moist.

"Oh fuck!" AJ shouted as she arched her back against the top of the counter, her eyes closing once more. Punk just continued to eat her alive, thrusting into her with his tongue while kneeling on the floor.

"Phi-i-i-l-l…" she moaned uncontrollably. Knowing she was really close, Punk thrust one last time deep into her center, earning the loudest reaction from AJ so far.

"Phil!" she screamed, expelling her cum into his mouth and some onto the counter. Punk simply lapped up all of her juices, swallowing it all and enjoying every drip of it. He stood up from his kneeling position as AJ finally had her eyes open for longer than three seconds. She rested on the table, trying to compose herself a little as Punk just admired the beauty sprawled out in front of him.

"You definitely… Kept your promise... Alright," she said in between her heavy breathing before she quickly pushed herself up, only to be presented with a held out finger from Punk. Examining the finger a little more closely, she realised what he wanted her to do. She slowly and teasingly covered his cum covered finger with her mouth before closing in on it. She then moved just as slowly out, keeping her mouth closed around his finger before pulling away entirely and tasting her own juices. Punk instantly got hard, his member visibly protruding out from under his boxers.

"_Fuck, that was so hot! I could just cum any moment," _Punk thought as AJ quickly realised the bulge in his shorts, biting her bottom lip and staring at it growing bigger by the second.

"April, let's not waste any more time. I need you. Please," Punk literally begged as AJ smiled and nodded at him, knowing he could not stifle his urge any longer. He lifted her up off the counter and rested her on the floor. He tugged on her stained panties, pulling it down quickly and tossing it to the side. He was just about to reach behind her for the clasp of her bra before she flipped them over, surprising Punk in turn.

"What the-"

"I told you I was going to be the dominant one," she giggled as she held his arms down by the wrists with her hands. Punk simply let out a laugh before she descended down his body until she arrived at his boxers. She pulled them down slowly until his member popped out, as hard and as upright as ever. She licked her lips and pulled the boxers off completely in a haste. She settled herself between his spread out legs before taking off her bra on her own. The instant the fabric was off of her, she saw his length straightened even more. She crawled slowly up his body, licking the tip of his head along the way which resulted in a loud groan coming from Punk. She straddled his stomach before leaning down slightly to face him.

"You taste quite nice Phil, are you sure you don't want me to pleasure you?" she asked teasingly as she reached back and lightly ran her fingers up and down along his length.

"No April," he closed his eyes for a moment before opening them up again, "I'm desperate for you. Please don't tease me."

"Ok baby," she leaned down to give him a brief kiss, "Where's the condom?"

"In the front pocket of my jeans," he answered.

"Ok, gimme a sec."

AJ looked around the room for his jeans before noticing them behind her. She quickly crawled towards it, unknowingly giving Punk a great view of her bare rear end moving up and down.

"I told you not to tease me!" Punk said loudly as his member continued growing.

"Huh?" AJ asked in bewilderment as she turned back to face him with her hands holding onto his jeans.

"Your ass, my face right here," Punk said as he pointed back and forth between where his face was and where her butt was previously.

"Oh, sorry baby," she apologised as she retrieved a packet of condom from his jeans' pocket, "I didn't mean to, honest."

"It's ok, just come here quickly please," she happily agreed and crawled back towards him in a hurry. She kneeled in between his legs as she opened the packet. She then leaned down to give the tip of his length a quick swirl of the tongue, making sure to get all of the juices that were oozing out.

"April!" he shouted as AJ just giggled in response. He just tasted so good. She could not help it. She would just have to wait next time to get all of it. As she lapped up some of the sweet pre-cum that rolled onto her tongue, she rolled the condom onto his length. Not wanting to agitate him any further, she lifted her hips up and cautiously slid down on his length.

"Oh!" both of them gasped as he fully entered her. She started to rock her hips back and forth as Punk supported her hips with his hands. The room was filled with their constant moans of approval while AJ continued to rock her hips like a bullrider.

"April…" he moaned as he thoroughly enjoyed the sight of his bare naked girlfriend riding him. AJ knew he was further along into his orgasm compared to her. She needed to catch up to him so she decided to lift up her hips and crash back down onto his hips repeatedly instead.

"Oh god!" she screamed, rolling her head back as she carried on in this new rhythm. Punk knew she was trying to catch up to him so he helped her along by meeting her movement. Whenever she would move down on his length, he would lift his hips up. This caused AJ to instantly feel her climax coming.

"Phil!" she moaned loudly.

"God… More… More…" she sighed as Punk carried on meeting her thrusts. After a couple more thrusts, Punk started to feel his orgasm approaching.

"I'm close, April…" he moaned.

"Me… Too… Phil…" AJ replied in between thrusts as she could feel her walls starting to close. She leaned her body down while still continuing the movement of her hips to kiss him on the lips softly. It was as if that was the trigger as Punk jerked away from her and reached his climax.

"April!" he moaned loudly as he hugged her body tight. The warm sensation that filled her core in turn also pushed her over the cliff as her walls tightened on his cock.

"Phil," AJ screamed loud, so loud she was sure the neighbours heard it but she did not give a damn. She had just engaged in an intimate session with her boyfriend and she loved every second of it. As she felt the waves of her orgasm passing over her, she just rested herself on top of Punk, trying to regain herself. Eventually, she rolled off of Punk and merely lay down beside him, their sweaty bodies staining the floor and their sighs filling the room.

"Phil," she broke the relative silence.

"Yeah?" he turned his head to face his girlfriend.

"This was the best first date ever. Thank you, baby," she smiled at him with nothing but love in her eyes.

"No problem, sweetheart. I'm just glad I managed to make you happy. I was kinda worried that you'd think baseball and pizza was too simple for a date," he revealed as AJ shook her head.

"Not at all, Phil. I'm a simple girl after all. Like I said before, just be you because I like you for you," Punk simply responded with a smile in pure happiness before moving in for a soft kiss with AJ. After they parted, he placed his arm around AJ while she lay her head on his outstretched arm and rested her hand on his chest.

"Umm, Phil?"

"Yeah, beautiful?" he replied as AJ's cheeks flushed light pink.

"Are we gonna be sleeping here?" she asked while tracing his chest tattoos.

"If you want to, I can sleep anywhere as long as you're with me," he smiled at her again. Ever since he was with AJ, he had been doing that a lot as of late.

"Me too," she kissed him on the cheek, "Goodnight baby."

"Goodnight sweetheart," he pulled her even closer to him as both of them closed their eyes, loving the only warmth that was available: each other.

* * *

**~Review~**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

I'm really, really, really sorry this took so long. I tried to update it yesterday so y'all could read it just before watching Wrestlemania but alas, my efforts fell in vain. Hope this somehow makes up for it.

Speaking of Wrestlemania, I was glad that AJ retained (since apparently WWE doesn't want to piss CM Punk further) but disappointed Undertaker's streak is now broken. Maybe he's just getting too old to wrestle anymore but I still find it odd he dropped the streak to someone like Lesnar who is a great wrestler as it is but just didn't need the win if I'm honest. Maybe Lesnar was just in the right place at the right time but I thought a rising star like Roman, Bray or Cesaro or even an established full time guy like Daniel or Cena would have been better picks but ehhh, it's normal WWE booking. It's the same booking which probably pushed CM Punk out. Or I could be completely wrong and it was Taker's call all along to drop it to Lesnar. Whatever the case may be, I have a feeling Raw's gonna be crazy tonight!

On the topic of CM Punk, a hearty congratulations to him and AJ. I wasn't really surprised it happened to be honest, just surprised at how quickly he snatched her up lol. Damn, that ring is massive as well, it looked smaller on TV haha. I bet she hasn't taken it off since he put it on her. You can bet I'll be doing a chapter on that hehe.

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 9 is from…**

**LeCrazz**

"_Great chapter! I love how long your chapters are, every time you update, I fangirl quite a lot. Thanks for the update and enjoy your holiday!"_

* * *

_**26 September 2013**_

AJ woke up feeling a cushioned softness surround her. Opening her eyes, she was greeted warmly by the sun's rays shining through the creeks of the partly closed blinds. Spreading out her legs and arms as a big yawn escaped her lips, she took a couple of moments before realising the changed environment around her.

_"I could've sworn I was sleeping on the kitchen floor with Phil... Or was that all a dream?"_ AJ thought before pushing herself off the bed and sitting on it instead. As she did so, the bed sheets covering her body dropped to her lap, exposing her bare chest. In an instant, AJ felt a cooling sensation around her breasts and when she looked down, she noticed she was naked, no ounce of clothing covering her body. Her head shot up the moment the door to the room crept open.

"Whoa," Punk uttered as he was met with the sight of AJ's bare bosom after popping his head around the corner of the door.

"I could get used to this," he said with a huge grin as he opened the door fully before making his way to the bed AJ was currently sitting on, his eyes fixated on her chest.

"Ugh, perv," AJ tossed a pillow at Punk before bringing up the sheets to cover her naked form.

"Ow," he playfully replied with a laugh as the pillow hit his midsection.

"Awww, they're gone..." he sighed as he sat at the front of the bed, facing AJ.

"It's not like this will be the last time you're gonna see them," she reasoned, still clutching the sheets over her breasts.

"I know, I just miss them," he tugged lightly on the sheets with his index finger but AJ still kept them against her body.

"But we just did it yesterday..." AJ said before tilting her head slightly, "Right?"

"Yeah obviously, or did you already forget?"

"No!" AJ replied in an instant, "It's just I remembered sleeping on the floor with you."

"You did..." Punk placed a comforting hand on her thigh, "For like an hour before I carried you to the bedroom."

"Oh, thanks," she smiled warmly at him as he softly massaged her thigh.

"No problem, I don't want to get my girlfriend sick now will I?" Punk asked before moving in for a soft kiss which AJ happily melted into.

"Mmm, definitely not," AJ moaned as her eyes slowed to an open after they pulled away. Punk simply smirked at seeing her still savouring the kiss despite it being over already.

"Anyways, it's already 11," he informed her as her eyelids finally parted fully, "Your breakfast's getting cold and don't you have a flight at 2?"

"But I don't want to get up from bed," she groaned before falling back down on the bed, "It's too comfortable."

"Oh no you don't. Get up," he warned with a laugh before getting on top of her.

"No!" AJ replied defiantly, trying to contain her giggles.

"I said get up," he warned playfully once more as his hands gravitated to her sides.

"No, Phil," she released one of her hands from the sheets and used it to raise a finger at him, "Don't."

Punk responded by giving her one of his mischievous grins and before she knew it, his fingers were torturing her, tickling her senseless, "I won't stop until you get out of this bed!"

"Please Phil, stop!" AJ laughed uncontrollably as she squirmed under him, trying to get out of his hold but it all fell in vain. Little drops of tears started to escape the corners of her clenched eyelids as his digits continued to attack at her sides.

"Get out from under there and I will!" he laughed, enjoying the mad hysteria fit she was in right now.

"Okay fine! I'll get up!" AJ had no other choice but to give in to his demands. As their laughter died down, he leaned down close to her face and brought one of his hands up to her face, wiping away some of the tears with his thumb. They fell to a dead silence with only AJ's heavy breathing from trying to recover from Punk tickling her filling the room. They stared lovingly into each other's eyes before Punk moved a couple of strands of hair away from her face, bringing out a shade of pink onto her cheeks.

"You're beautiful," he simply said, stroking her pink cheek with the back of his fingers.

"Phil, that isn't gonna work," she revealed with a small giggle as his fingers halted in their tracks.

"I'm not trying to get into your pants, April... Even though you're not wearing any right now," he told her with a smirk as AJ simply rolled her eyes and shook her head slightly.

"I just felt like I needed to tell you that," he admitted.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I don't know why you have this constant feeling that the other divas are prettier than you. You're the most beautiful girl in that locker room and I just wanted to remind you of that," he divulged. Her cheeks grew even redder and she was sure she was as red as a tomato right about now.

"Thank you. I'll try to remember that next time," she said as a smile crept up on her face. She was really in a great place right now and she hoped it would never end. It was so easy how he could just make her happy.

"You can bet I'll be right there in your ear if you forget," he smirked.

"Now go and shower sleepyhead," he immediately got off her while pulling the covers with him, exposing her bare body to his eyes.

"Phil!" AJ shrieked at the sudden coldness engulfing her body as she quickly and rather futilely covered her private parts with her hands.

"You were right, it wasn't the last time I would see them," he laughed as she quickly swung her legs over the edge of the bed and sat there for a moment, showing her bare back to him.

"Jerk," she muttered, glancing back at him.

"I can jerk off right now actually," he said, laughing to himself.

"Not what I meant," she shook her head before pushing herself off the bed.

"I took the liberty to bring up all your stuff for you," he said as he pointed to her luggage bag that was lying against the wall, "No need to thank me."

"I won't," she walked around the bed and proceeded to her bag while Punk just sat on the bed and admired her naked form, "You probably took a peek at my underwear and even touched it."

"Wow, is quenching his sex drive what you think your boyfriend does all the time?" Punk asked, playing along with her accusation.

"Yes," she uttered with no sign of hesitation before bending down to open up her luggage.

_"Fucking hell, does she have to do that?"_ he thought as she fiddled with the zipper of her bag.

"Well I can't help it when you're bending down like that in front of me," he said defensively as AJ quickly turned her head to face him, shooting him a devilish smile. She pushed herself back up and turned her body so that he was facing her side.

"You mean like this," she swiftly squatted until her bare ass almost touched the carpeted floor before slowly and teasingly popping herself back up, pushing out her buttocks as much as possible. AJ giggled to herself seeing how worked up Punk was from watching her slutdrop before turning back to her luggage. That was the last straw for Punk though. He could not control his urges anymore.

"Fuck! That's it!" Punk jumped off the bed and walked quickly towards her.

"What's i-" before AJ could even finish talking, she was already pinned roughly against the wall. The thud of her back hitting the wall could not eclipse the loud gasp that escaped her lips. She did not have much time to recover because he quickly crashed his lips hard on hers. She thought of pushing him off but did otherwise when his tongue ran across her lips, asking for entrance. She responded by welcoming his tongue into her mouth where their tongues went on to dance with each other. Hushed moans were swallowed by one another as their make out session intensified. He eventually left her mouth and headed for the side of her neck, kissing his way slowly down her body.

"Phil... I thought... I didn't have time..." AJ moaned as her eyes started to close and her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, enjoying the feel of his lips meshing with her skin.

"We'll... Make... Time..." he said in between kisses as AJ began to feel wet with his member pressed up against her.

_"She wants to torture me? Well it's my turn to 'torture' her," _he thought menacingly. He proceeded to lowering his hand down her body until he reached her clit where he started to rub circles with his thumb.

"Mmm..." she moaned, getting wetter by the second at his touch as he continued to place kisses and small nibbles on her neck. She wanted more though so she quickly took a hold of his index finger and guided it into her wet center, surprising Punk.

"Oh god!" AJ shrieked as he began to finger her. His other hand in the meantime played with her breasts, fondling with them and rubbing her nipples.

"Phil... More..." AJ moaned as she patted his other fingers and rolled her head back against the wall, craving for more of the sweet pleasure she was receiving.

"As you wish, beautiful," he said lovingly after briefly stopping his kissing. Punk inserted another finger into her to which AJ replied with a loud gasp and an arching of her back. He then started to move both his fingers inside of her and resumed placing kisses on the side of her neck.

"Phil..." AJ repeatedly moaned, closing her eyes as his fingers continued to pleasure her.

"Con... Dom...?" AJ asked in a breathy moan.

"It's in the other bedroom," he said softly after releasing his hold on her neck. He quickly returned to kissing her neck.

"Make it... Quick then..." AJ said in almost a whisper as he carried on fingering her.

"Fuck it... Let's not... Waste... Any more... Time..." he said in between kisses.

AJ opened her eyes and brought his face up to hers, gazing straight into his eyes, "Are you sure?"

He simply responded by pulling his fingers out of her and noticing the juices that surrounded them. He smirked at how easily he could make her wet.

"Positive," he declared before sucking on one of his fingers, "Mmm, still as sweet as ever. Heh, just like that and already you're wet."

"Oh really?" just as Punk was about to put his other finger into his mouth, she took a hold of his hand and directed his finger into her mouth where she slowly sucked all the juices that covered it. All the while she did this, she stared at him with her doe eyes, not breaking the connection once until she finished sucking it dry.

_"Nothing innocent about this girl," _Punk's mind wondered. When she was done, she released his finger with a 'pop' sound and licked it from the base of the finger to the tip one final time. AJ swiftly tugged his sweatpants along with his underwear down far enough so that his member was able to pop out in front of her, catching Punk by surprise. It was as hard and as long as she could had remembered.

"Just like that and already you're hard," she giggled as she bit the tip of her index finger and looked down on his erect member.

"What can I say?" Punk chuckled, "You know how to turn me on."

AJ quickly pulled his shirt over his head and gripped his length.

"So does this turn you on?" AJ asked as she started stroking his dick and placing kisses on his tatted up chest.

"Mhmm," he merely replied with a nod of the head before letting his hands roam her ass.

"You love… Doing that... Don't you?" AJ asked in the middle of her kisses when she felt him squeezing her butt cheeks.

"Mhmm… But I love… Doing this… More…" he lifted her up by her butt with ease, forcing AJ to let go of his ever growing member and drawing out a giggle from her. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck as he held her against the wall. They locked eyes once more, smiling gleefully at each other.

"Ready?"

"More than ever," AJ replied before letting go of his neck and reaching down for his length, "Lift me up a little."

Punk did as he was told while AJ pointed his length up to her wet core. Looking back at him and giving him a nod to go on, he lowered her onto his stiff member, earning a small gasp from AJ when he started to penetrate her. Once he was in, she returned to circling his neck with her arms and bracing herself for him as he continued to slowly lower her.

"Fuck! Oh!" AJ sighed when she felt him fully enter her, barely any distance between them. She gripped onto him as tight as possible, feeling an extreme rush of pleasure flowing through her.

"You're so tight April… You ok?" Punk asked, trying to get her to open her eyes.

"Y-Yeah, m-move Phil," she stuttered, looking down at the non-existent gap between them. His member was completely gone, lying fully in her. He duly obliged and slowly pulled out of her then moving his hips back up with his hands still supporting her light frame by her ass.

"Oh!" a loud moan drew out of AJ's lips the very first time he thrust into her, digging her fingernails into his back.

"Is it too-"

"Faster," AJ said in almost a begging tone, surprising Punk. He smirked and upped his pace, causing AJ to instantly snuggle her head in his neck. His neck swallowed her moans as he felt her heavy breathing on his skin bringing out goose bumps. With each thrust, she moaned then panted onto his skin.

"Faster..." she mumbled, her eyes fully shut.

"April, I can go even faster if you rest against the wall," he whispered into her ear, instantly melting her into complete goo. She released him and leaned her back against the wall as her hands dropped to his biceps for support. Not one second later, he picked up the pace again, an intensity she had never felt before with anyone.

"Oh my! You weren't kidding!" AJ squealed, digging her black fingernails into his biceps. The feeling of him entering her at this pace coupled with the fact that she made soft thuds with the wall was so indescribably incredible. It was plainly addictive.

_"Why didn't I think of doing this sooner?" _AJ thought for a moment as she moved up and down against the wall, grazing her back against it. Punk then moved in on one of her breasts, sucking on it to a peak.

"Phil..." AJ moaned as she felt him flicking and licking her hard, pink nub. She entangled her fingers into his hair, pulling him deeper onto her breasts. He moved over to her other breast, kissing the valley in between on the way there. He gave the same treatment to her breast, causing AJ to arch her back against the wall, pushing her bosom even closer to Punk while her orgasm came closer and closer. As he began to nibble on her erect nipples with his lips, her legs unlocked, hanging loosely by his sides while his hands lowered down to the bottom of her thighs. She felt it was only slowing them down by gripping onto his waist and was she ever right. The speed increased again and this time, even she could move herself somewhat, bouncing on his length with whatever strength she had and even meeting his thrusts.

"Fuck!" Punk shouted after jerking his lips away from her nipples, "I can feel it coming..."

"Me too..." AJ sighed.

"Phil... I've... Never... Felt... This... Way... Before..." AJ truthfully admitted in between pants as he continued to pound into her hard. This was probably the best sex she ever had and when she could feel her climax approaching, she was kind of sad it was eventually going to end. Punk smirked to himself at her words but he wanted to make sure for certain that he was the guy to give her the best sex of her life. Punk decided it was time to really make her scream for him.

"What about this?" he released his hold on one of her thighs, dropping it until her feet almost touched the floor. His hand now supported her by her butt cheek while the other was still at her thigh. In an instant, AJ felt herself stretched to the point that she could not control what was coming out of her mouth.

"Phil! Never Phil!" she cried, feeling her climax close in on her with this new position.

"That's right baby, scream for me," he whispered teasingly.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" AJ repeatedly squeaked and gasped with each thrust into her.

"This... Is... A... Ma... Zing... Phil..." AJ managed to breathe out her words in between thrusts as Punk smirked, knowing he had managed to successfully satisfy her.

"You're amazing," he revealed as AJ stared straight into his eyes. Behind the lust, his eyes showcased honesty and pure happiness. She was just as happy as he was and in that moment, she felt herself trembling.

"I-I'm c-close," she stuttered as he continued pounding into her hard.

"You won't be anymore, sweetheart," he said in a dark, low tone, sending chills down her spine. Punk used his hands and lifted AJ higher. It enabled him to pull almost completely out of her then move into her fully. He repeatedly thrust into her with this new rhythm, the sound of the thuds she made with the wall matching her gasping and breathing.

"Oh god!" AJ screamed at the top of her lungs when with one final thrust, she was pushed over the edge and clenched Punk's length with her walls. In turn, he reached his orgasm as well, unloading his seed into her as they filled the room with loud moans and heavy breathing in pure ecstasy. As the waves of pleasure rushed over them, they remained in that position, holding onto each other for air and support. Eventually their bodies parted as Punk carefully exited out of her and lay her down on her own two feet.

"You've outdone... Yourself Phil..." she praised, resting herself against the wall and still trying to recover her breath.

"You were asking for it... I had to give it to you..." Punk said with a small laugh before pecking her lips and kissing the crown of her forehead.

"You sure did," she giggled and patted his limp member which was still exposed, "Oh, it's still a little wet."

"April-" before Punk knew it, she quickly descended to the level of his groin and enclosed the moist head of his member with her mouth, gripping the length with one hand to hold it steady. As she swirled her tongue around the tip and licked it clean, he groaned loudly when he looked down at his girlfriend devouring his head. It was such a turn on that he felt himself getting hard again and AJ too could feel it getting hard in her hand. When he felt his legs giving way a little, he leaned on the wall with his outstretched hand, using it to support himself.

"Mmmm..." AJ moaned as she began licking the tip, enjoying every single drop that was slowly dripping out.

"April, I'd love for you to continue but your flight," he reminded her and quickly her head shot up. She had completely forgotten about her flight.

"Crap Phil, I gotta go and get a shower real quick," she pecked his tip and popped back up. She placed a brief kiss on his lips, letting Punk taste himself before heading towards her luggage to get the things for her shower. He merely laughed at the panicking state of his girlfriend before pulling his pants back up and putting his shirt back on. He then headed for the other bathroom to get himself cleaned.

"Don't take too long, sweetheart," he chuckled on his way out of the room.

* * *

"What time is it?" AJ asked after coming down the stairs and walking over to the kitchen counter where her food and Punk lay. She was still drying her hair with a towel since she did not want to waste any more time.

"It's only 11.30. Don't worry, you have plenty of time," he answered after taking his eyes away from his iPad to see her dressed in her usual get up: skinny jeans, a top, a couple of bangles and her spectacles which topped off her hot, nerdy girl next door look.

"Phew, I thought for sure I was gonna be late," she sighed in relief, plopping down on the kitchen stool beside Punk and resting her bath towel over her shoulder.

"Well, we were kinda fast," he smirked at her.

"Yeah, we were," she giggled before walking her index and middle finger up his upper body and moving her other hand up his thigh.

"You know, since we do have some more time, I could finish what I started..." AJ's voice trailed off when her fingers reached the neck hole of his shirt. She tugged on it, pulling him towards her as her other hand now rested on top of his manhood. Just as her lips were about to connect with his, his index finger took the place of his lips, halting her in the process.

"No round two," his finger left her puckered lips and tapped her nose as he moved her hand away from his crotch, "You need to control your urges."

"Technically, it would've been round three," she smirked while Punk gave out a laugh, "And you want me to control my urges?"

"Yup, you heard me," he said before taking a sip of his coffee.

"This coming from the guy who pushed me up against the wall and fucked me senseless against it after I merely slutdropped in front of him," he almost spit out his coffee after hearing her words.

_"Did she really just say that?"_ Punk thought in disbelief as he wiped away some of the coffee that had left his mouth with a tissue. AJ was never one to use such words apart from when they were intimate with one another so it truly did shock him that those same words had come out of her mouth.

"First of all, wow, language my dear April. You don't want the AJ fanboys to find out their queen curses. You're going to ruin their pristine image of you," he teased as AJ rolled her eyes, "Secondly, you slutdropped while being totally naked so I think that's kinda unfair to me."

"Thirdly, are you forgetting you bending down and practically poking out and offering up your ass to me?" he added, to which AJ quickly replied.

"Hey, in my defence, I was opening up my luggage. It's not my fault someone had to stare," she picked up her cup of coffee which Punk made, blowing away the steam that it gave off.

"Ok, fair enough but the way you described my actions was kinda crude. I wasn't that rough," Punk defended while AJ took a small sip of her coffee.

"Uhhh, yeah, you were. That first push into the wall was pretty hard, I have a couple abrasions on my back and I'm pretty sure I smacked into that wall at least twenty times," she ticked each of them off with her fingers after putting her cup back down on the counter.

"Oh, I didn't know," he rubbed the back of his head, "You should've told me and I would've gone easier on you."

"Nah, I liked it. I didn't know you had that side to you so I just let things be and boy was I right to do that," she said, stirring her coffee at the same time.

"You didn't mind the roughness?" Punk asked.

She shook her head in response, "Nope, in fact the roughness was the reason why it was so good. I felt so naughty."

"I didn't know I had a naughty girl," he moved his head slowly closer to hers.

"I am AJ Lee after all," she giggled, moving in for a kiss with Punk which he returned warmly.

"Mmm, I think I like AJ more than April," he playfully revealed after pulling away. She immediately scoffed, slapping his chest with the back of her hand.

"Only during sex I mean," he chuckled, trying to come back on his words, "Apart from that, April is way better."

"Just for that, I'm calling you Punk the next time we're in bed," she said, popping the 'P' in 'Punk'.

"So anywhere else and it's Phil?" he teased.

"You have other places in mind?" she drew circles with her finger on his chest while resting her bent, other arm on the counter.

"Sure do, but I need to check AJ's schedule," at that instant, her finger stopped moving and instead pinched his chest with the help of her thumb.

"I'm kidding," he laughed dryly.

"Seriously Phil, I don't know how you're gonna top that. Who knew rushed sex would feel so good?" she admitted, resuming her finger motion. Maybe it was the fact that her feet never once touched the ground or the fact that the pace and force he was going at was unbelievably great or even that she kept crashing her back into a wall with each thrust. Whatever the reason was, Punk had definitely given her the best sex of her life but she knew better than to tell him that and boost his ego.

"I guess it's the excitement and urgency of it all but sex with you is always good no matter what," he claimed confidently.

"You always know the right things to say," she giggled as a blush came over her cheeks.

"Of course, I am the best boyfriend in the world after all. Anyways, you don't want your breakfast getting cold again so you better eat up. I heated it back up for you," he informed her before taking one long gulp of his coffee.

"Awww, that's so sweet. You're making sure the food is warm for your girlfriend," she said as she pinched his cheek, "You might actually be able to have a claim on that best boyfriend tag."

"Heh, cute," he retorted, rubbing his cheek after she released her hold on it.

"I know I am, so what are you reading there?" AJ asked before biting off a chunk out of her bagel.

"Look familiar?" Punk asked, showing off a dirtsheet article on his iPad.

"Is…" she swallowed her bagel with a big gulp, "Is that us from yesterday?"

"Yup, seems like the cameras focused on me after catching the foul ball," he noted as small beads of sweat started to form on her forehead.

"_This just adds fuel to the fire. Everyone at work is gonna assume the worst," _AJ worryingly thought in her head. This was surely going to cement the false rumours about the two of them as true.

"Shit," she simply remarked.

"C'mon, it's not that bad. I know we wanted to keep our relationship quiet from everyone but this doesn't really ruin it. I mean, it looks like two friends just enjoying a ball game and each other's company," he noted, trying to cheer AJ up.

"Yeah, but do friends really snuggle up to each other?" AJ questioned, poking her sausage with her fork.

"You're just leaning into me in this picture… But the video though-"

"Video? What video?" she interrupted him in a snap as her head quickly shot up.

"Someone uploaded a video of us at the game on YouTube. I doubt many people will find out about it since it's not being linked by any dirtsheets but you really snuggled against me in it. There was barely any breathing room between us. I didn't know I was so irresistible," he said smugly but soon realised the worried look apparent on her face. She started browsing through her phone, checking her mentions on twitter.

"April?"

"Crap, this isn't good," she remarked as she continued scrolling through her twitter.

"C'mon," he grabbed her phone out of her hands and placed it down on the counter with the screen face down, "Who cares what the fans think?"

"I don't care about what they think. I care about what our co-workers think," she corrected him, panic starting to get a hold on her.

"Co-workers? What are you talking about?" Punk questioned in complete bafflement.

"Phil, people..." she took one deep breath before continuing, "People have been saying that we've been sneaking off behind Amy's back and having an affair."

"People? You mean the same people at work?" Punk asked for clarification before AJ nodded in reply.

"Yeah…" AJ sighed.

"Who exactly?"

"Apparently, almost everyone."

"Ok, who came up with that crap of a story?" his nostrils flared up as his anger started to build.

"I don't know. Whoever it is apparently saw us fooling around in the trainer's room and made their own assumptions," she revealed before sighing once more, "People were side eyeing me at work the other day."

"That's it," he swiftly whipped out his phone in anger, "I'm gonna go and give Vince a piece of my mind."

"No! Don't!" AJ quickly covered his phone with her hands, stopping him from calling Mr. McMahon.

"He can't do much. Please don't make this bigger than it should be," she pleaded, looking up at him with eyes which he had trouble saying 'No' to.

"But they're spreading lies about you," he retorted, hoping AJ would see it his way.

"It's... It's ok," she hesitated, not wanting to blow up this issue into bigger proportions, "I'm sure it'll blow over like most rumours in WWE."

"Don't lie to me, April," he warned her, "They're ruining your reputation."

"I know..." she gave out a loud sigh, "I just don't want you to go psycho mad backstage."

"I won't do that," he insisted.

"I know you Phil, you'll do just that. Just try to ignore them, for me, please," she pleaded once again, almost to the point of begging.

Punk looked deeply into the eyes of the Divas' Champion. It was as if he was staring into the eyes of an adorable puppy. He just had to give in to her, "Argh, those eyes are gonna be the death of me one day. Fine, you win. I'll try but no promises."

"Yay, thanks," she replied happily, taking her hands away from his phone, "But since when did you care about what others think?"

"I don't, but I care when they try to hurt the people I care about," he admitted honestly.

_"God dammit, just like that and his words turn me into a complete mush,"_ she told herself in her head.

"I really appreciate that," she said, pushing her glasses up her nose bridge in shyness.

"No biggie, that's what the best boyfriend in the world does," he proudly claimed, bringing out a deep groan from AJ.

"While you continue to feed your own ego, I'll just be here eating my food," she said before picking up the porked sausage with her fork. Just as it was about to enter her mouth, he made himself heard again.

"Which I cooked," AJ simply groaned once more.

"You're a real piece of work," she notified him before finally welcoming the frank into her mouth.

"Thank you, I try my best," he boasted again, accepting her 'compliment'.

* * *

Once AJ was done with her breakfast, Punk gave her a ride to O'Hare International Airport where her flight was due to take off for Tampa. While she was glad she was going to be heading home again after almost a week on the road, she was rather sad that she would in turn be leaving Punk and his house. Even though she was only in it for a day and a bit, she felt... Well... At home. It scared her a little at how at ease she was around his house but somehow, their relationship did not feel rushed. Maybe it was due to the fact that they had been close friends for so long but their relationship definitely did not give away any indication that they had just been dating for a couple of weeks. It felt longer but she quickly put those thoughts behind her when the last call for her flight sounded over the PA system. They had waited until the last moment to maximise their time together.

"Well, I guess this is it," she sighed as her head dropped slightly, hinting a sense of disappointment.

"Hey, don't be sad. I'll see you again in three days," he curled his index finger and used it to tilt her head up by her chin before pushing up her glasses with the same finger as well.

"Yeah... I'm gonna miss having you for those three days," she admitted, running a hand up and down his bicep.

"I'll miss you too but it'll only be three days. Before you know it, I'll be right by your side again," he reassured her, gripping her by her shoulders while shooting her a large smile.

"And I can't wait for that," her mood instantly changed for the better after hearing his comforting words, "I better get going."

"Whoa," AJ was just about to walk away from Punk when he quickly pulled her back by her arm, bringing their faces close together, "You forgetting something?"

"Oh yeah, my goodbye kiss," she got on her tippy toes and kissed him sweetly. She was going to miss those lips for the three whole days she would be separated from him.

"Our goodbye kiss," he corrected her after they slowly pulled away as she giggled along. His hands dropped to her hands, gripping them tightly.

"Bye Phil," she tried to pull her hands away but he did not budge.

"Still forgetting something," he notified AJ, surprising her.

"Huh? What else? Did I leave something behind at your house?" AJ asked in a panic, pulling her hands away from his to check her front and back pockets of her jeans for any missing belongings.

"Yup," he retrieved a baseball from his sling bag and placed it in one of her open hands before clenching her hand around it. Her eyes focused on the ball momentarily.

"A baseball?" AJ asked in confusion, looking back up at him.

"It's the same one I caught yesterday," he clarified.

"Phil, I can't take it. It's yours, you caught it," she tried handing it back to him but he merely pushed her hand back.

"I did catch it, but I caught it for you. Let it be a reminder of our first ever date," he said lovingly. AJ could not believe he was thinking about her when he caught the ball.

_"So that's why he didn't want to give the ball away to Vijay,"_ she suddenly realised as a smile instinctively formed on her face.

"Thanks, I'll keep it safe," she brought the ball close to her chest with both her hands.

"I know you will, now go. I don't want you to miss your flight. And tell Nacho I said hi," he told her in an upbeat tone. He wished one day he could meet the dog that she loved with all her heart.

"I will," she giggled, liking that he remembered about her dear pet.

"Oh, and call me when you land," he reminded her.

"I will Phil," she assured him, the distance between them slowly increasing as she neared the gate.

"Be safe, ok?"

"I will, relax," she giggled again, deep down loving the fact he was being so overbearing.

"Ok, bye April," he almost shouted, alerting some of the people in the vicinity.

"Goodbye Phil," she replied with a chuckle. She could not stop smiling at how much of a goofball he was acting right now. After she got past the departure gate, she took one last glance back at him. Their eyes instantly connected as they waved one final time at each other. When she eventually turned the corner along with her luggage, he brought up the hood of his sweater and put his headphones over it before walking back to his car. Maybe music could fill the sudden hole in his life at this moment.

* * *

_**30 September 2013**_

Monday Night Raw rolled around the corner. As usual, Punk and AJ arrived to the arena together on his bus. The house show the night before was tense for both Punk and AJ. They were getting the occasional judging look by the other superstars and divas and it was hard to ignore them, especially for Punk who had to control his emotions for AJ. He promised her he would not throw a tantrum backstage and somehow, by the end of the night, he managed to do as such, though they did leave the second Punk's match was over. They managed to remain professional throughout and just did their jobs, not wanting to hang around too much to avoid questions about their relationship by others.

"They're still giving us dirty looks," he pointed out as they walked side by side into the Mississippi Coast Coliseum, their luggage in hand.

"Yeah," she took a quick glance of her surroundings before facing Punk again, "Even the backstage crew are doing it now."

"Imagine their faces if they actually saw what we did in the bus last night," he laughed but AJ did not really see the funny side to it so she just gave him a casual death stare, "Sorry."

AJ sighed and went back to checking out her surroundings. An air of uneasiness developed around her as the worry in her piled on. Punk quickly picked up on this and he did not want her to go through this on her own. Without hesitation, he held her hand, shocking AJ. She looked down at the sudden warmth enveloping her hand before turning her attentions back to the Chicago native, "Phil, what happened to laying low?"

"They can choose to think whatever they want but I'm gonna be by your side throughout all of this," he said reassuringly as he gripped her hand tighter. She was quite prude when it came to displaying her affections publicly but she still was a girl after all. On the inside, she still wanted someone to walk with her hand in hand and Punk was now doing just that.

"Thank you," she leaned into his arm with the side of her head now resting against it, looking up at him with a huge smile on her face.

"I like this," she said, looking down at their intertwined fingers.

"Me too," he agreed, rubbing her index finger with his thumb.

"So what do we have for tonight?" AJ asked as they arrived at the match card.

"Hmm, I have a match with Big E... And a segment with Paul, Curtis and Ryback while you're... Doing backstage work with Tamina," he informed her, reading off the match card pasted on the wall.

"Sweet, two of my favourite people are working together and I won't be having a 'Total Diva' in sight," she clapped her hands together as her happiness continued to grow.

"You really do hate them, don't you?" Punk asked with a chuckle. He knew they got on her nerves and he did not blame her one bit after seeing first hand their interactions backstage and the stories AJ would tell him about them.

"I wouldn't call it that, more of a..." AJ began tapping her chin, searching for the right words, "Mutual dislike."

"To be honest, I don't really care if you hate them as long as I'm still your most favourite person," he said, turning his body to face hers.

"You most definitely are," she rocked their connected hands gently before leaning into a kiss with him.

"We probably shouldn't have done that," she said after they separated, taking another quick glance of what was around her.

"Don't give a damn what they think," he shrugged his shoulders before glaring at one of the stagehands.

"Wait, did you say you have a segment with Ryback?"

"Yeah, why?"

"No," she pulled her hand away from his and crossed her arms disapprovingly, "You're not having another segment with him. Nuh uh."

"And since when were you in charge of who I can work with?" Punk queried with a small laugh.

"Since I became your girlfriend," she asserted, a sense of entitlement pinging in her words.

"He's gonna hurt you again, Phil. He's just too careless," she placed her hands on his chest, rubbing them up and down.

"So is he gonna be another one on the growing AJ Lee hate list?" Punk's hands fixated on her hips as he brought her closer towards him.

"He will be if he injures you in any way," she said, full of certainty.

"I better warn him later then that you're coming for him," he gave out a hearty laugh.

"This is not funny, Phil," she slammed the palm of her hand on his chest, "I'm worried about you."

"Ok, ok, I'll talk it over with him and Paul later. There's no need to worry," he told her, trying to calm her down.

"But-"

"But nothing April," he cut her off, "I'll be fine."

AJ sighed before nodding her head, "Ok."

"Hey," he got a hold of her hands and brought them close to him before kissing them, "Thank you for caring. You really are amazing, you know that?"

"Yeah, you've told me that before," she giggled shyly, "Are they staring?"

"Don't know, don't care," his eyes remain focused on her, ignoring the people around them, "So I'll see you later?"

"Yeap, text me when you're free," she replied.

"Ok, I-"

"Punk! Just the man I was looking for," a somewhat raspy voice emanated from behind Punk. Turning back and letting go of AJ's hands, he was greeted with the sight of the chairman of the WWE, Mr. McMahon.

"Vince, I'm kinda busy here," he said, annoyed at his presence.

"It's ok," she held her hands up, "I need to go anyways."

"Mr. McMahon," she acknowledged him and shook his hand.

"How are you, AJ?"

"Good as always," she answered after they parted, "Well I have to go."

She turned towards Punk, "See ya Phil."

"See ya," he replied as he watched her walk away from him towards the divas' locker room. He groaned loudly once she was gone.

"Was I interrupting something?" Vince questioned, noticing a change in his demeanour the moment AJ left.

Punk sighed, "Not anymore, what's up?"

"I have some good news," he mentioned, hoping to cheer him up a little.

"Is it good for me or good for you?" Punk crossed his arms, feeling sceptical about his supposed good news.

"Good for you of course," Vince maintained.

"Well I'll be the judge of that. Shoot."

"Since John is out with his injury, we need someone to deliver the opening message for the breast cancer commercial later," he hinted, obviously referring to Punk.

"Ah promotional work," he said rather sarcastically.

"You don't want it?"

He thought about it for a moment before gladly accepting his offer, "I'll do it since it's for a good cause. So is that all?"

"No, I have another one and I think you'll like it. You're currently slated to win the Royal Rumble," he revealed while Punk's eyes widened in surprise. Did he really just offer him the main event of Wrestlemania?

"Well I'll be, that is actually some good news," he gave Vince a rare smile, rare to Vince anyways.

"Yeah, but no promises," he cautiously informed him, "Just that there's a high chance it'll be you."

"I'll take whatever I can get at this point," he shrugged it off before offering his hand to Vince who duly accepted it, "Thanks."

"No problem, Phil," he said before walking past him.

"Vince, wait," Punk alerted Vince as he caught up to him.

Vince turned around, a little confused by his actions, "Yeah?"

Punk was just about to inform Vince about the situation he and AJ were in when a thought came across his mind, _"Don't do it, remember what April said. 'He can't do much. Please don't make this bigger than it should be'. Do you really wanna break your promise to her?"_

"Erm, never mind. Have a good day," he gave Vince another smile and it was at this point that he started to scare him a little. Never had he seen Punk in such a good mood.

"Heh, I need to deliver more good news to you," Vince smirked, "I like this side of you."

"I promise you, it doesn't come out often," he called out to him as Vince resumed walking away from him, a snicker escaping the chairman's lips.

* * *

After his enlightening conversation with Mr. McMahon, one that he was glad he had in the end, he entered the locker room only to be welcomed with twenty or so pairs of eyes gravitating towards him. It was the same exact reaction he received the past two house shows and he was beginning to get annoyed with it. It was as if he had just murdered someone. Never had he imagined this many people caring about what goes on in his personal life. He simply just stood there at the entrance of the room, his hand still holding onto the handle of the door as he surveyed the room, partly for his locker and partly to see the person behind each judging stare. Quickly, many of the eyes looked away, not wanting a confrontation with him. When he did eventually locate his locker, he slyly smiled at the tension in the room while giving out half of a laugh which no one heard before making his way there. With each step he took, he could feel another set of eyes returning to burn holes in his back. Fortunately for him, he had his hood up and he never wavered his eyes away from his locker.

"_Guess Zack and Kofi are still on the road,"_ his mind pondered after he noticed the empty lockers which sandwiched his. One casualty as a result of his new relationship was Kofi who now had to hitch rides with some of the other guys. Only once in a while when AJ was not scheduled to be on the same show as Punk did Kofi manage to ride with his roadwife.

"So did the Cubs win?" Big E asked him, now standing behind him with his arms crossed. He was looking for an answer from Punk but not necessarily for that question.

"Heh, yeah, they did," he grinned to himself, not looking back at the imposing figure behind him as he took his headphones off, "But I know you didn't just come here to ask me that."

"You're right, I tried to get a hold on you yesterday but you quickly left," he said in a serious tone, one that quickly grabbed Punk's attention.

"My match was over," he pulled his sling bag over his head and placed it in his locker, "I didn't see any point in hanging around."

"Of course you didn't, especially when you have AJ wrapped around your finger and following you everywhere, doing god knows what. So tell me, are you dating her now or were you just caught red handed?" he queried almost mockingly, daring Punk to turn around. He could see Punk clenching his fists and at that point, he knew he had managed to get his full attention.

"Big E…" Punk breathed in and out deeply, composing himself before finally turning to face the man that worked with AJ for months, "What me and April do is our business so I think you should just butt out."

"It's not right what you're doing with her," Big E commented, bringing out a sarcastic laugh from Punk.

"Oh, so you know everything that's going on between me and her?" he asked incredulously, garnering the attention of the locker room.

"Everyone knows what's going on!" Big E raised his voice as a crowd began to form, ready to break up the inevitable fight.

"You know what? Since you're her good friend," Punk started as he poked Big E's chest with his index finger, glaring at the big man, "Let's talk. Man to man. Outside."

"Fine by me," he sidestepped, allowing Punk to lead the way. Punk gave one final glare to Big E before walking over to the door.

Just as he was about to exit the room, he turned on his heels and delivered a stern message to his fellow wrestlers, "And for the rest of you, mind your own god damn business and stop spreading bullshit!"

He slammed the door shut to punctuate his anger as most of them jolted at the sudden, deafening thud. Big E sighed before opening the same door to trail Punk. In his fit of anger, he did not even remember that Big E was supposed to follow him out of the room so that they could talk in private. They finally stopped moving once they had turned a couple corners and were far enough from the locker room.

"So it isn't true?" Big E questioned, folding his arms once more.

"Of course it isn't true!" Punk replied to the point of shouting.

Big E responded by raising an eyebrow, "So you and AJ didn't fool around in the trainer's room?"

Punk suddenly felt himself blushing at his words, "Ok... T-That part is true but the rest is all false."

"So lemme get this straight, " Big E started, "You kissed her when you were still in a relationship with someone else."

_"How did he know about that?"_ Punk thought for a moment as Big E continued.

"A couple of months later, this rumour comes up about you two having an affair and the next few days, a picture of you two at a ballgame surfaces," he added.

"I don't know about you but when I connect the dots, it seems like you're just full of bullshit," he accused stingingly as Punk's eyes widened with a burning passion of rage.

"_Don't hit him. His April's friend, just take a walk," _a soothing voice in his head reasoned with him, trying to calm him down.

"You can go fuck yourself," he spat with absolutely no remorse before attempting to walk away when Big E quickly gripped him by the arm.

"What did you say?"

"Let go of me," Punk demanded, trying to shake his hand away but to no avail.

"No, repeat what you just said to my face," it was Big E's turn to demand something from Punk as he tightened his grip. He promised himself he would not hurt one of AJ's close acquaintances but he was just pushing all the wrong buttons, baiting Punk to hit him. Punk turned back to face Big E who relinquished his arm.

"Ok then, I said you can go fuck yourself," he punctuated his statement with a firm push on Big E's massive chest, causing him to stumble back but only a little as Punk had finally had enough. Big E took in a small breath, laughing to himself on the inside at Punk's so called 'push' which barely shifted his significant frame.

"_Was that all he got?_" he thought as he could sense a brawl coming on. Meanwhile, AJ had just walked around the corner and saw her former bodyguard and current boyfriend standing face to face with each other.

"Phil? E?" she said to herself, wondering what they were doing. She just assumed that they were just having a friendly conversation when out of the blue, Big E shoved Punk into one of the makeup crates behind him right in front of her eyes. Shock could barely describe what she was feeling at that moment.

"Ah!" Punk cried out in pain as he crashed his back and head against the relatively unforgiving crate.

"Phil!" AJ wasted no time and rushed over to Punk who was holding the back of his head in pain.

"AJ! I was-" Big E started but was promptly discontinued by AJ.

"You were hurting my boyfriend," she said in a snap, shooting daggers at him as she stood in front of Punk with a hand comfortingly placed on his chest.

"Is that what he is to you now?" he motioned with his hand towards Punk, "He's not your fuck buddy anymore?"

Punk's anger started to boil over again. Did he really just call him that? He was about to let loose on him in spite of the pain he was in when AJ quickly intervened, holding Punk back with her hand, "Of course he isn't! He never was!"

"But-"

"But what E? I thought for sure you out of all people would not believe such a story," she said coldly as her eyes stared right into his soul. A sense of fear developed in the big man who recalled seeing those very same eyes when she was playing her character.

"I-I didn't at first," he stuttered, his nerves actually starting to take over, "But then I remembered you saying he kissed you and he does have a reputation of cheating."

"So _you_ told him I kissed you?" Punk asked, surprised she actually told Big E about their little incident. She sighed, turning her head to face him.

"No, Celeste did and that's a long story I don't actually wanna get into right now," she corrected firmly before glaring back at Big E, "So if his reputation means so much, didn't you consider my reputation with my past romantic relationships?"

"N-No, I-I didn't," Big E stumbled once again.

"Of course you didn't! If you had, you'd have known I wouldn't have done such a thing. You didn't even talk to me about it. You could've called or texted me but you didn't," AJ ranted in an almost reprimanding tone, "Now I think you owe Phil an apology."

Big E gave out a heavy breath, realising his mistake before offering his hand out to Punk, "Sorry man, I was just assuming shit and believing someone else's word."

To say Punk was hesitant to shake his hand was an understatement. However, that soon changed when AJ rather forcefully stomped on his foot, "Ow! Erm, it's ok man, we all make mistakes."

"We cool?" he asked as he shook his hand.

"Yeah, we're cool. You ok?"

"Yeah, it didn't hurt that much," Punk lied, rubbing the feeling back to his head and trying to play down the pain he was in.

"Sure did sound like you were hurt," he chuckled, referring to his loud cry.

"I was just testing out my vocal chords, that's all. I am a pretty good singer," he tried to justify his loud scream a couple of moments ago. AJ merely cleared her throat after hearing him confidently proclaiming his ability to sing.

"What?" Punk looked towards the Black Widow who had her lips knitted together, holding back her laughter.

"I clearly remember you singing at a baseball game and from what I can tell, you were kinda off tune," she divulged, using the word 'kinda' very loosely.

"I was nervous, a lot of people were looking at me," he explained, attempting to come up with a valid excuse.

"The Best in the World gets nervous?"

"At times, I'm human after all."

"Sure, sure," she sarcastically replied before shifting her attention back to Big E who was quietly enjoying the couple's interaction, "So doofus, do you know who started all this crap?"

"Ouch," he clenched one of his chest with his hand as if he was suffering from a heart attack, "One mistake and I'm instantly a doofus?"

"That's what you get for hurting my poor baby," she put an arm around Punk's waist as he placed his arm around her shoulder, bringing their bodies close together in a side hug, "You need to work hard to get back into my good graces."

"Poor baby? Excuse me while I go puke," he put a finger into his mouth, expressing a self-vomiting action.

An oblivious roll of the eyes preceded AJ's words, "Just tell me what I need to know before I ask Phil to kick your head off."

"Alright chill, you don't have to sic your boyfriend on me," he said in a defensive tone, "Thing is, I don't know anything. You'd have to talk to some of the other guys who are more in the know so to speak."

"So you didn't know much and still went after him?" she posed the question while raising an eyebrow at him.

"I already said I'm sorry. What more do you want? Me to beg for forgiveness?"

"Well..." Punk started, holding out his free hand and shooting him a small smile as he pondered with the idea.

In response, AJ pinched his side, stopping Punk from making Big E's suggestion a reality, "You won't have to do that, just talk to me first next time regarding anything concerning me, ok?"

"Will do. I'll see you guys later, my stomach's grumbling for some food," Big E confessed before rushing off to catering, not giving Punk and AJ time to say a proper goodbye.

"Sorry about him," she apologised as she manoeuvred her body so that they were now facing each other, "He's usually more well-mannered."

"Nah, it's cool. Just gives me all the more reason to not pull any punches later," he smirked but AJ was clearly not amused.

"Phil."

"I'm kidding."

"I hope so. Is your head ok?" she asked in concern as she noticed him still occasionally feeling his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he told her while she checked on the back of his head for any cuts or bruises.

"Nothing out of the ordinary," she remarked before getting down off her tippy toes to face Punk.

"See, I told you I was ok. I was more worked over about how you handled him just now. That was so hot how you stood up to him," Punk admitted as his hands fell to her hips.

"Like I said, he was hurting my baby," she wrapped her arms around his waist in a possessive manner as they smiled warmly to each other, their bodies acting like magnets and attracting one another.

"Your baby, huh?" he pulled her towards a nearby deserted office.

"Haven't you learnt your lesson?" she giggled as he opened the door and pulled her in with him.

"I'm stubborn, maybe you should teach me a lesson," Punk teased, his urges once again getting the better of him.

"Class is in session," she giggled again before closing the door behind them with her Converse covered foot.

* * *

"Hey Sandra," Punk greeted WWE's resident seamstress who was in the middle of making one of the Bellas ring attire for the night.

"Yes Punk?" she asked, looking up to him.

"Sorry to bother you but do you happen to have AJ's breast cancer shirt but in a men's size?" he questioned, hoping she had one to spare.

"I do actually have a couple, you need one?"

"Yeah, I'm planning on wearing it for the commercial later," he disclosed his plans for the night, wanting to show his support for his girlfriend.

"Vince isn't gonna be too fond of that idea," she laughed, stopping her work on the ring gear.

"He'll just have to live with it. So can I have one?" he asked politely.

"Sure sweetie," she got off her chair and departed her sewing machine for the wardrobe room. Seconds later, she emerged with a light pink 'love life' shirt and handed it to him, "Here. Now you take good care of that girl."

"I will," he nodded reassuringly, "I'm guessing you heard the rumours, huh?"

"I did, but I know she didn't have some sort of scandalous fling with you. She isn't that type of girl to do that," she said as she took a seat back at her sewing machine.

"Yeah, she isn't. She's quite special really," Punk revealed as an unknowing smile developed on his face when he thought of AJ.

"I know, you've been going on about her for the past two years," she side eyed him while she resumed her work, "It took you long enough."

"I just finally had the balls to do it I guess," he sniggered while rubbing the side of his neck, "Anyways, thanks for the shirt."

"No problem, but if Vince asks, tell him you stole it from one of my wardrobes," she instructed, glancing back at him.

"Will do Sandra," he chuckled before heading for the locker room to change into his new shirt.

* * *

About an hour or so before Raw was scheduled to start, everyone on the current roster was standing at the top of the stage with the titantron in the background. All of them were decked out in pink, wearing their personalised breast cancer t-shirts. Apart from Kaitlyn, only AJ was wearing a t-shirt made especially for a diva while the rest of the divas wore a generic shirt with 'DIVA' plastered across the front of it. At least that was what AJ thought as she stood in front of her fellow Chickbuster for the commercial shoot. Punk, meanwhile, had just been given his opening line which was merely three words long.

"Ok, we need Punk front and center," a producer called out before Punk placed himself where he wanted. He was now just a couple of feet away from AJ and he quickly took notice of her.

_"She looks so cute with her glasses on," _Punk thought to himself as he and AJ looked towards one another. Giving her a wink, she giggled to herself, awkwardly acknowledging him.

"Get a room already," Kaitlyn murmured into her ear only to be elbowed in the gut by AJ.

"Take your jacket off," the producer ordered but as usual, like the rebel he is, he refused to abide by his command.

"I'll just zip it down."

Puffing out a sigh, he looked back at Triple H for help, "Hunter?"

"Just let him do his thing," Triple H told him.

"Fine," he accepted the card that he was dealt with, "You can keep it on."

Punk gave him a sarcastic smile before pulling his zipper down to reveal a shirt that was clearly not his own, "Ok, where the hell is your shirt?"

"It's right here," Punk pointed at the shirt he was wearing in an innocent fashion as AJ looked towards him, just like the rest of the roster who was surrounding him.

"No, that's AJ's. Where's yours?" he asked once again, feeling annoyed.

"What's he trying to do?" Kaitlyn asked in a whisper.

"I don't know. He didn't fill me in on this," she whispered back, still keeping her focus on the conversation between Punk and the producer.

"Didn't get mine," he simply said.

"What do you mean you didn't get yours?" at this point, Punk was really starting to piss him off and it was evident in his raised voice, "We handed them out personally to everyone."

"Well I just didn't get mine but I did get my girlfriend's so all's good," Punk conceded proudly, making AJ blush when he said 'girlfriend' out loud as some of the divas and superstars around her shifted their gaze towards her. The producer threw his hands up in the air before, for the second time, looking back at Triple H for assistance.

"Just let him be, we don't wanna waste any more time," he said as he took a mental note of the time on his watch.

"See, Paul gets it," Punk pointed out, knowing the mention of his birth name in front of the entire roster would annoy him as some of the guys tried to stifle their laughter, "Chop chop producer man."

"Fine, everybody into position," he directed as a sense of defeat was apparent in his voice.

"I don't think he likes you," Miz whispered into Punk's ear as he too tried to hold his laughter back.

"He can get in line," Punk snickered, eyeing the producer.

"Roll camera!"

* * *

"And that's a wrap! Thanks for your time everyone!"

The commercial shoot did not take long to conclude, roughly ten minutes in fact. All of the wrestlers headed backstage to get ready for their own segments and naturally, Punk and AJ found each other.

"You were such an ass to that producer," she said as she poked his chest with her index finger.

"Eh, if he has a problem with me, he knows where to find me," Punk grinned mischievously.

"But this was really sweet," AJ commented, tracing his shirt with her finger.

"Yeah, your shirt actually looks quite good on me," he pompously noted.

"I'm not talking about my shirt, you goof," she slapped his chest in what was slowly becoming a recurring theme, "I'm talking about you wearing it instead of yours."

"Psh, I don't need any more endorsements but you do," he said, trying to dismiss what he just did.

"That was nice of you but…" the tone of her voice lowered as did the pace she was talking at while she held onto his biceps, "I especially liked the part where you told everyone I was your girlfriend."

"Well, since they like to gossip so much, I thought it wouldn't hurt if they had more ammunition," Punk chuckled as his hands fell to her butt cheeks.

"Yeah, now I can do this without people staring," they leaned into each other for an intoxicating kiss which would have intensified even more had Big E not interrupted their intimate moment.

"Ahem," a groan from both of them followed as they now eyed the big man with a not so friendly stare.

"Just because people know you two are now together doesn't mean they're still not gonna stare if you're gonna keep on kissing like that," he said, walking over to the couple who each had an exasperated look on their faces.

"Great timing E," AJ sarcastically remarked in an annoyed tone as she moved into a side hug with Punk, "What do you want?"

"Punk, or specifically Phil to you," he answered smugly before looking over to Punk, "We need to go over our match later."

"Gimme a minute. I'll meet you back at the locker room," Punk replied.

"Do you really need a minute to chew her face off?" Big E asked with a wicked grin.

"Just go before April slaps the taste out of your mouth," he responded, getting irritated by him.

"Sheesh, now you're trying to sic her on me. What happened to fighting your own battles?"

"We're together now, we fight each other's battles as well," AJ spoke up, patting Punk's stomach while looking up to him.

"You read my mind," Punk said with a grin before leaning down to kiss her when Big E intervened once again.

"Wait, no! Let me leave first before I start puking again," Big E suggested just as their lips were about to connect before hastily leaving the scene. Punk and AJ both shared a laugh before closing the gap between their lips in what was a relatively short kiss compared to the one they had just moments ago.

"I know he can be a pain in the ass but please go easy on him later," AJ requested after they parted, still looking up at the Straightedge Superstar.

"Easy on him?! Have you seen the size of the man?!" he rhetorically exclaimed while holding his free hand out, "I think you're talking to the wrong guy."

"Just don't kill each other."

"We won't, we talked it over already, remember?" he reminded her, tightening his grip on her shoulder.

"Still, control yourself, Phil," she warned.

"What, you don't trust me?"

"No, not really," she replied, bringing out a laugh from Punk.

* * *

Big E and Punk had just finished their match which opened up Raw for the night. Punk had claimed victory when he pinned Big E after hitting the GTS and out through the curtains first was Big E.

"Good job out there, E," AJ applauded as he walked over to her.

"Thanks, but tell your man to control his knee next time," he said, feeling his jaw with his hand.

"Awww, did he hurt you?" AJ asked in a mocking tone.

"Yeah, right here," he pouted, pointing to his chin.

Just as she was about to check on it, Punk came out of the curtains and made his presence known, "Back off E, she's mine."

"Jeez, someone's a little possessive. Jealousy's not a good look on you bro," he said as Punk gave AJ a kiss on the top of her head.

"Neither is a black eye on you," Punk countered.

"Joke's on you, I already have a black eye, two in fact," he informed Punk before closing both of his eyes, causing Punk and AJ to break out into laughter.

"I can see why you like hanging out with him. He's funny," Punk told AJ.

"And caring and handsome-" Big E continued before Punk cut him short.

"Just like me, hmmm I guess we do have some things in common."

"Awww, two of my favourite people are bonding," AJ expressed endearingly as she put an arm around each of their waist and brought them into a hug, sandwiching herself in between the sides of the two men.

"I don't remember her being so touchy," Big E commented.

"You should see her whenever me and her are alone. She can barely keep her hands off me," Punk boasted as AJ swiftly broke up the hug.

"Ugh," she scoffed and slapped him playfully on the arm.

"See," he chuckled, holding onto his arm.

"Well, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone. Remember, the walls are relatively thin in this arena," he reminded them.

"Not really, I don't think anyone heard us a couple of hours ago," he smirked as Big E's face scrunched up.

"Ewww, no wonder you guys got caught. There are eyes and ears everywhere at work."

"Tell that to her," he said, motioning his head towards AJ, "She just can't resist me."

AJ gasped, "You were the one who pulled me into that room and slammed me against the wall then-"

"Ahhhh! Noooo!" Big E instantly covered his ears with his hands, "I don't want to know the details."

"Really?" Punk started, "Not even the part where she pulls down my pants and-"

"No! God no!" Big E exclaimed, "Now I really gotta go."

"Awww, but I was just starting to enjoy your company," Punk pointed out somewhat sarcastically.

"Sure you were," Big E side eyed him before fleeing for the locker room.

"That was mean," AJ giggled.

"Hey, it got him to leave us alone, didn't it?" Punk gave her a chaste kiss on the lips which was safe to say, AJ enjoyed.

"Mmm, I gotta get ready for my segment," placing a hand on his still moist, bare chest which glistened, highlighting the various colours on it.

"Ok, I'll walk you back to the locker room," he suggested, taking her hand in his, "Catering's on the way there anyways."

AJ was surprised at how open Punk was being about their relationship to everyone. He too, like AJ, was not one to display his affections publicly but for some reason, when it came to her, he was more than happy to do so. He even told basically the whole roster who he was dating an hour or so ago. Looking down at their interlocked hands, AJ was giddily delighted that Punk was not ashamed of being with her and this silly rumour turned out to be something she did not have to worry about in the end because one thing was definitively clear, he would be by her side the entire time.

"Oh yeah, I got some good news," Punk spoke up, jolting AJ out of her thoughts.

"What is it?" she inquired as she started to sway their connected hands.

"I'm booked to win the Royal Rumble and headline Wrestlemania," he announced.

"No way, you're not joking around right?" she questioned as a sense of happiness started to come over her. AJ stopped Punk in his tracks for a moment when she turned her body to face his once more.

"Of course not, why would I joke about my dream?"

"Gosh, I'm really happy for you, Phil," she said before pulling him into a tight embrace, the side of her head leaning on his sweaty chest.

"Whoa, calm down," he chuckled as he pulled her head away from his chest, cupping her cheeks with his hands, "Now you've covered yourself in my sweat."

"I can wash it off later," she dismissed it easily, her smile ever-present, "I'm just happy you finally get what you've always wanted."

"Yeah, but Vince did warn me it hasn't been set in stone yet," he warily informed her.

"I have no doubt it'll be you," she cupped his hand again with hers as they continued on their way to the divas' locker room, "Who else would be more deserving?"

* * *

"You look awfully beautiful," Punk complimented as AJ took a seat beside him at a table in catering. AJ had just finished shooting a backstage segment with Tamina where they were seen watching on at Brie's match with Alicia Fox.

"Thanks, it's the makeup at work," she said before stealing one of Punk's chocolate chip cookies from his plate.

"What makeup?" he replied, trying to be oblivious to the fact that she was indeed wearing makeup. AJ almost spit out the cookie she was eating as she had trouble trying to contain her giggles.

"You're as sweet as ever," she noted before sucking on one of her fingertips, "Mmmm, just like these cookies."

"Here, have some more," he pushed the plate closer to her, "My segment is coming up soon so I can't really finish them all on my own."

"Thanks," she grinned in happiness before she picked up and ate another cookie, "I just put on makeup for a five second backstage segment."

AJ was rather displeased that she had to get dolled up just to only have a five second video shoot. It took her longer to get all dressed up than the total time it took to film the segment.

"Hey, that's better than most of the other divas back here," he reassured, "Some of them don't even get one second of TV time."

"I know…" she sighed disappointingly, "I'm fortunate I guess but I still wish us divas were given more time."

Punk placed a comforting hand on her back, rubbing it up and down to soothe her, "It's difficult, I know, but the problem is Vince just doesn't really see much money in the divas anymore since WWE went PG."

"It's the reason why he came up with 'Total Divas'," he added as AJ rolled her eyes at the mere mention of that show.

"So what? I should join that show then to get more TV exposure?" she asked before grabbing Punk's bottled water and drinking from it.

"No! Heck no! I'd hate it if you joined 'cause that means I'll be dragged into it," he snickered.

"I'd hate it too. I don't want everybody finding out I spend my free time on my Xbox in my tank top and boxer shorts," she revealed.

"But I'd join just to see everybody's faces the moment I'm introduced as AJ Lee's boyfriend," he devilishly grinned, "Imagine the look on all your fanboys!"

"You just hate my fans, don't you?" she giggled before placing another cookie in her mouth.

"Nah, I just hate how overbearing they can be," he confessed, picking up a cookie for himself.

"Your fans are no better. 'Marry me, Punk!' 'CM Punk makes ovaries explode!' 'CM Punk? More like CM Hunk!'" she mocked in a high pitch, immensely girly voice as Punk laughed along, "Oh, and don't even get me started on your male fans who think you're the second coming of Stone Cold Steve Austin."

"Ok fine, my fans can be overbearing too but let's forget about that and move onto a more pressing matter… How short are your boxer shorts?" he was desperate to know. It had been on his mind the entire time since she first mentioned it. He was fantasising and imagining what she would look like in her home clothes.

"You'll soon find out," she teased.

"Is that an invitation to your house?"

"Of course, I want you to meet Erica and Nacho," she divulged, "You're free this week right?"

"Unfortunately… No…" a tinge of sadness was evident in his tone as AJ's face dropped slightly.

"Oh… Next week?" she said in hope.

"I don't have anything planned so I think I'm good."

"Great! Next week it is then," she announced contentedly, "Anyways, you did talk to Paul and Ryan right?"

"Yup, Phil will be doing most of the hitting," Paul Heyman interjected before Punk could even put a word in.

She looked over her shoulder and greeted the long-time manager, "Paul, hi."

"Hey kiddo," he warmly placed his hand on her shoulder, "You have nothing to worry about. He'll be well taken care of later."

"Thanks Paul," she raised a finger at him, "But if he gets injured somehow-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be on your hate list. Phil mentioned it to me," he said as he looked over to Punk.

"I'll be doing more than just hating you," she warned as Paul smirked at the tiny diva.

"Punk! Paul!" a producer called out as their segment was about to take place.

"We have to go," Punk got off his seat after taking one final gulp of water.

"I'll be right here once you're done," AJ assured him.

"Alright sweetie," he leaned down for a brief kiss with her as Paul looked on at the happy couple.

"Awww," Paul blurted out accidentally as they parted.

Both of them glared at Paul after he ruined the moment for them, "Sorry."

She brushed it off and looked back at Punk, "Be safe Phil."

"I will," he assured before leaving the room with Paul.

"I didn't know she was so protective," Paul commented.

"It's her caring nature showing through. Just don't get on her bad side and you'll be fine," Punk advised, making Paul a little nervous if something were indeed to happen to him later on.

"You seem really happy though," Paul told him as they walked side by side.

"I am, she makes me very happy," he replied with no hesitation.

"I'm glad you finally listened to your heart," Paul replied as they arrived at the gorilla.

"Me too. Anyways, I'll see you at the ring," Punk winked at him.

"Yup, just as planned," he said as Punk followed a stagehand to his spot at the back of the arena.

* * *

AJ had decided she wanted to watch Punk's segment after she was done with the plate of cookies. She was watching on at the monitor alone when a familiar voice peeled her away from the screen, "Admiring your boyfriend again?"

"Just taking an interest in his work," she simply replied to the Two Tone Diva before shifting her attention back to the monitor where Paul was in the middle of 'proposing' to Ryback.

"'_I wanna make an honest man out of you'," _AJ repeated Paul's words in her head,_ "That sounds like something out of Mulan."_

"Did he just quote Mulan?" AJ asked in uncertainty, getting a shrug of the shoulders from Kaitlyn.

"I'm not sure but this definitely is a heart-warming proposal. I can't tell whether I wanna cry or puke," she joked as AJ laughed along in agreement. That was what was so great about Paul Heyman. He could make you hate him in an instant, even if you actually like the guy.

"Yes! Punk!" AJ exclaimed when Punk's music finally hit, interrupting the proposal.

"You're such a mark," Kaitlyn remarked with a laugh.

"What, a girl can't support her boyfriend?"

"Nah, nothing wrong with that. It seems like everyone knows about you two now," she said.

"Yeah, that was Phil's doing and I actually kinda like it," AJ admitted, "I don't have to keep us a secret anymore and I can be free to do whatever I want with him at work."

"Ew, I don't wanna know what you're doing with him at work," she scrunched up her face in disgust, "But he does seem proud to show you off on his arm to everybody."

"Yeah, he does," she smiled to herself as they watched Punk about to climb over the barricade. After he got over it, his right leg instantly collapsed in what seemed to be an apparent knee injury.

"No, Phil," she held a hand over her mouth as he clutched his knee in pain.

"Is this part of the script?"

"I don't think so judging by all their faces," she said, taking notice of Paul and Ryback's facial expressions, "This can't be happening. He's due to main event Wrestlemania, this is just gonna wreck his dream."

"Oh..." Kaitlyn breathed out as she looked on at Punk in concern.

"Phil, get up... Please..." she clasped her hands together over her chest, praying he would quickly get back on his own two feet.

"No, no, not the doc again," she exasperated as Dr. Amann came to Punk's aid for the second week in a row.

"Argh, I told him not to work with Ryback again. He just gets injured every time. He's just so stubborn," she whined in a panic.

"But Ryback didn't even touch him."

"He didn't need to this time. He's just bad luck for Phil," she maintained, stubbornly not shifting the blame away from Ryback. Just as it seemed like she was going to have to meet Punk back in the trainer's room again, he pushed away the doctor and retrieved a kendo stick from under the ring and in one sweeping motion, he whacked Paul's legs with the stick.

"What the? He's ok! He's ok!" AJ jumped up and down in excitement as Kaitlyn looked on in amusement.

"Complete mark," she said judgingly as she folded her arms.

"Sue me, I'm happy."

"I can see that. Boy, did he get you good," Kaitlyn chuckled after seeing how distressed AJ was a couple of moments ago.

"He got you too!" AJ playfully shoved Kaitlyn by her shoulder, "He should win an Oscar just for that."

"An Oscar? Heh, you're completely hooked on him, aren't you?" Kaitlyn playfully accused after hearing AJ sing Punk's praises.

"Shut up, I'm not," she denied, trying to cover up the fact that she was head over heels for Punk, "I'm just glad he can still realise his dream."

"Whatever you say, honey," Kaitlyn said before walking away. AJ, on the other hand, made her way to the gorilla where Paul, Ryback and Curtis came back first.

"Told ya he wouldn't get hurt," Paul smirked as Ryback and Curtis carried on their way to the men's locker room.

"You were this close to getting your ass beat, Paul," she threatened, bringing her index finger and thumb close together.

"And I would've gladly accepted the ass kicking," his smirk had yet to fade away, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to debrief my clients."

AJ shook her head as she watched Paul leaving the area. She waited patiently for Punk to go through the black curtains and when he finally did, she literally launched herself at him.

"Phil!"

"Apri-. Ouh," he said as their bodies meshed together as one. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he laughed at the sight of his adorable girlfriend.

"Why the sudden hug?" he looked down as she moved her head just far enough so their eyes could meet.

"Because you scared me, you ass," she started, "I thought you really injured yourself and had to let go of your Wrestlemania match."

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you about that," he apologised and brought her back into the hug, his hand cradling her head while the other rested on her back.

"It's ok, you're safe and that's all that matters," she mumbled, enjoying the comfort of his body as her arms descended to his waist.

"I'd hate to break this hug up but I need to freshen up," he told her but she remained glued to his body.

"You can get a shower back in the bus," she mumbled again, "My things are already there so all we need to do is fetch all of your stuff from the locker room."

"Wow, someone's an eager beaver."

Her head shot up from his chest, "I just wanna lie in bed with you."

Punk gave out a laugh before shifting AJ to his side. Putting an arm around her, they walked to the men's locker room to retrieve his belongings as she used her free hand to intertwine with his hand that was hanging over her shoulder, "Can we just lie? I don't think I have the energy to do anything else but that. E took a lot out of me tonight."

"Ok... What about cuddling?" she suggested in hope.

"Oh, I definitely can do that. Even spooning if you want," he looked at her with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"I'd like that, I'd really, really like that," she revealed, fully contented as she tightened her grip on him and trudged along with him at a slow pace towards the locker room. Happy. An overused word but one that perfectly described what Punk and AJ were feeling at this moment.

* * *

**~Review~**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for taking a while with this chapter. I know I should be updating more regularly or quickly but I just don't wanna produce a below par chapter or a chapter where it only takes like two minutes to finish reading. When I update, I want you to feel thoroughly satisfied with the content so I hope you can be patient with me, especially for the next chapter which ***spoiler alert*** has to do with AJ's concussion hehe.

Anyways, I thought we needed a chapter where Punk and AJ were separated a little so here it is.

Also, it turns out I'm a jinx. Just when I said AJ retained to keep Punk happy, she loses the title the next night though I had a feeling she was going to lose it the instant Paige's theme came on. At least it wasn't to a total diva but the match wasn't too good though, especially Paige's finisher which looked like a botch. No matter, AJ is still the 'Best Diva in the World' to me and a certain someone and she has a new piece of accessory to go along with it. It looks better than the title anyways lol.

-SC

* * *

**Best Review for Chapter 10 is from...**

**Guest (Yes, a guest for a change! lol)**

"_Wooooo! You never disappoint when you update! This story deserves so much more recognition, you're an awesome writer! I can't wait for the next chapter!"_

* * *

_**1 October 2013**_

Punk was sitting on the couch and watching TV in his bus as usual whenever AJ had to work the Smackdown tapings. However, after a while, he felt bored and decided to go into the arena to hang around backstage with some of the other guys. He was in the middle of enjoying his turkey ham sandwich while watching his favourite movie of all time, 'Slap Shot, on his phone in catering when the seat beside him creaked against the concrete flooring. Punk paused the movie, placed his sandwich back down on the paper plate and draped his headphones down around his neck before looking up to see a large, burly man.

"Stealing food again?" Big E asked as he sat down beside Punk.

"I wouldn't call it stealing since I do work here," Punk replied.

"Yeah, but not today."

"Heh, you know why I'm here," Punk sneered.

"Yeah, so where is she?" Big E queried, looking around the room.

"Dunno," he shrugged his shoulders, "Last I heard, she was discussing with one of the writers for her promo later."

"Oh, I see," Big E took in a deep breath, "Look, I actually came here to formally apologise to you."

"For what?"

"The whole incident yesterday," he clarified.

"C'mon, it's water under the bridge," Punk said, patting Big E on his meaty shoulders.

"Not to me," he replied adamantly, "It's clear you make her very happy and I was wrong to question your relationship with her. I was just looking out for her since her last relationship didn't go too well."

"Yeah, she's told me about it before," Punk said, recalling the time AJ confided in him about Trent.

"And you'd know she was cheated on. I don't want that to happen again," Big E said firmly.

"It won't, I assure you of that. I care way too much about her to do such a thing," he revealed, his eyes telling Big E of his sincerity.

"That's great to hear," he raised a finger at Punk, "But if you hurt her in any way-"

"You know where to find me," Punk interrupted, smirking at him. They shared a smile before a pair of hands landed on Big E's shoulders, causing him to turn around to see who they belonged to.

"Big man!"

"Kofi! Hey, what's up my man?" Big E greeted, smiling ear to ear as Kofi stood in between and behind him and Punk.

"We gotta go over our match later," Kofi revealed as he picked up Punk's sandwich and took a bite out of it.

"Hey! That's my sandwich!" Punk exclaimed, watching Kofi savouring his food.

"I'm helping you from getting fat," Kofi said thoughtfully while still chewing, placing the sandwich back down on Punk's plate, "Plus, aren't you like vegetarian or something?"

"It's pescetarian," Punk corrected, "And no, I'm not one anymore. My body doesn't seem to react well to it anymore."

"Or you just miss meat too much," Kofi pointed out proudly, almost mocking Punk's inability to stave off meat as he pulled a seat from another table and positioned it in the same exact spot he had been standing at before sitting on it.

"Whatever, just stay away from my food," Punk warned, pushing his plate away far enough so Kofi could not reach for his sandwich.

"Still waiting on that apology for kicking me out of the bus, roadwife," he said rather bitterly, earning a bemused look from Punk.

"He kicked you out of his bus?" Big E asked in shock. It was basically common knowledge to most in the locker room that Kofi and Punk forged a strong bond and travelled together on the road so it was surprising to Big E that Punk would do such a thing.

"No-"

"Yeah, he did," Kofi answered before Punk could barely put a word in, "And it's because his new roadwife can do things which I can't with him."

"Things?" Big E looked at both of them in utter confusion.

"The thing a man and a woman do in the bedroom," Kofi hinted, flicking on a light bulb in Big E's head.

"Ohhhhhh, that thing."

"Real sharp, E," Punk gave him an 'OK' signal with his hand while shooting him a wink, "Guess the E doesn't stand for Einstein, huh?"

Big E responded by reaching over Punk to get a hold of his sandwich and biting off a piece off of it as well, a rather large piece at that, "Hey!"

"That's for calling me dumb," Big E retorted before passing it back to Punk who forcefully snatched it out of his hands. He shot him a dagger before tasting the sandwich for himself. At the rate this was going, they were going to finish it for Punk so he thought the best way to avoid this was to never relinquish it and eat it as quickly as possible.

"Anyways, I didn't kick Kofi out. He excused himself from the bus because he didn't want any awkwardness," Punk informed Big E, emphasising on each of the 'he's by pointing at Kofi.

"Well in my mind, you kinda kicked me out by making me feel so uncomfortable when I heard sounds coming out of your bedroom the very first night I travelled with y'all since y'all started dating," Kofi defended.

"We were already very quiet," he countered, bringing out a sarcastic laugh from Kofi.

"If the definition of very quiet is me being able to hear you guys even when I'm wearing my headphones, then yes, you two were very quiet, especially your girlfriend," Kofi retorted, emphasising on the last three words.

A pink shade started to develop on Punk's face as he gave out a small laugh, "Yeah, April can be, errr… A little loud."

"Well that's a major understatement," he commented, "What did you do to her? Torture her?"

"Something like that. Do you really wanna know?" Punk asked with a chuckle before taking another bite out of his sandwich.

"No!" both Big E and Kofi shouted at the same time.

"Look," he started before swallowing the food he had been chewing, "I'm sorry my bedroom door isn't soundproof and I do miss having you around the bus but-"

"But you'll still be rocking the bus," Kofi crudely finished Punk's sentence.

"Yeah, if you wanna put it that way," Punk chuckled.

"Fine, I get it," Kofi crossed his arms and looked away from Punk, "You have to take care of your girlfriend and she's more fun to be around with."

"C'mon, don't say that," Punk placed his hand comfortingly on Kofi's shoulder, "If it means anything, I miss playing street fighter with you."

"That's actually kinda nice," Kofi commented as he and Punk shared smiles.

"Yeah, with you, I'd always win but now, it's a nightmare trying to beat April. That girl is crazy good," in that instant, Kofi's smile went away as did the nice moment he thought they were having.

"And you ruined the moment. But seriously, I'm not bitter or anything. I just miss having a good companion on the road. Matt's great to hang around and all but he can be so annoying in the car and his taste in music isn't any better," Kofi confessed, sharing his experiences on the road with the Long Island Iced Z, Zack Ryder.

"Then why don't you travel with me, Mike and Nick?" Big E suggested as Kofi's head quickly shot up.

"Oh, but I don't wanna intrude..."

"Nonsense, we have room for one more and if you feel bad for bailing on Matt, we can always accommodate him by getting an SUV. At least you don't have to suffer alone with him," Big E said with a laugh.

"You know what, that sounds like a great idea. Thanks man," Kofi replied gratefully, placing a hand on Big E's shoulder.

"No problem, at least I'll have somebody else to talk to in the car. Nick and Mike are so tight that at times, I feel a little third-wheelish," he admitted as Kofi nodded in agreement.

"Hah, I hear ya. Those Cleveland boys love to stick together," Kofi stood up from his seat, "Anyways, let's get going."

"Do we really need to? I mean, our match is only gonna last a minute," Big E whined, reluctantly getting off his seat.

"Yeah, but we still need to figure out how it'll end," Kofi said, putting his seat back at its original position.

"Fine... Tell AJ I said hi," Big E told Punk before Kofi joined in as well.

"Yeah, me too."

"Sure, have fun you too," Punk waved at them as they were about to leave the room.

"Not likely..." Big E muttered.

"Hey E!" Punk called out, causing Big E to turn on his heels.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for having April's back. It's nice to know I can count on someone back here to look out for her."

"Anytime, remember, you break her, I break you," Big E warned in a threatening manner, "Capiche?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go and do the job, jobber," Punk mocked as Big E groaned at the fact that he had to job to Kofi for the night.

* * *

AJ had just finished cutting a promo on Brie ahead of their title match at the Battleground pay-per-view with Tamina by her side. As they were walking back to the divas' locker room, AJ noticed Dolph sitting on a crate while texting on his phone. She had remembered that Big E heard about the rumour from a conversation between Dolph and The Miz and thought a talk with Dolph could get her the answer she had been looking for. Although she had grown to not let backstage talk of her love life bother her, she still was curious to know who had come up with such a scathing story about her personal life.

"Hey," AJ stopped Tamina in her tracks before continuing, "I'll catch up with you later, ok?"

"Sure," Tamina simply replied with a smile before carrying on with her walk back to the locker room.

"Nick!" Dolph's head instantly shot up at the mention of his name and he was greeted with the sight of AJ walking to him.

"AJ, hey, what's up?"

"I just came to congratulate you for that great match you had out there with Alberto," AJ said, commending Dolph on his match.

"Thanks, me and him always seem to steal the show," he bragged, "We just have great chemistry."

"Yeah, I remember…" AJ gave out a small laugh as she recalled the feud Dolph and Alberto had before going silent for a moment, "Listen, do you know anything about the story going on about me back here?"

Dolph chuckled in response, "I knew you had a real reason for coming to me."

"What, is it that hard to believe that I am happy for you for having a great match?" AJ queried as she placed one of her hands on her hips.

"Yes, considering we've barely talked since we stopped working together," Dolph pointed out.

"Well I'm sorry, I've been a little busy as of late," she replied, showing off and adjusting the Divas' title on her shoulder.

"Busy with work or busy blowing up pipebombs with the best in the world?" he asked, smirking and using air quotes when he said 'pipebombs'.

"If you must know, both," she grinned back at him, "So do you know anything? Like who started this stupid story?"

"Nope, one of the backstage crew people told me but I was quite sceptical about it and honestly, I wouldn't really worry too much about it. Ever since your dearest boyfriend made you two public, most people have stopped caring and only a couple of people here and there still believe the story," he elaborated before hydrating himself with a bottle of water.

"Actually, I'm not bothered about it anymore. They can talk and gossip about it all they want, I don't care. But what I do care is who came up with it," AJ revealed in a firm tone, a tone which was reminiscent of her crazy chick gimmick.

"Well you came to the wrong guy for answers. You just gotta let it go," he replied.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," AJ sighed as her shoulders dropped.

"Well, don't let me bother you anymore with whoever you're texting there," she said, motioning with her head towards the phone in Dolph's hands.

"It's just a girl I met last night at the club," he revealed in a dismissive manner.

"Girlfriend material?"

"Maybe, she's really hot though," Dolph grinned widely as AJ merely rolled her eyes at the Show-Off.

"Of course she is."

* * *

After her little chat with Dolph which proved fruitless, AJ made her way to the locker room where she was met with emptiness. The only person inside was Tamina and even she had already gotten dressed to go off.

"Hey."

"Hey, let me guess, the rest of them are shooting 'Total Divas'?" AJ questioned as she walked over to the seat in front of her locker.

"Think so," Tamina answered uncertainly, not really caring about the whereabouts of the 'Total Divas' too much, "Anyways, me and Vickie are gonna be heading out soon for dinner. Wanna join us?"

"Nah, you girls go ahead. I already have plans for tonight," she disclosed in the midst of untying and taking off her knee high Converses.

"Oh yeah, you and Punk," Tamina moved over to the seat beside AJ.

"How's that going for you?" she asked AJ, nudging her on the arm with her elbow teasingly.

"It's going good. He's a really sweet guy," AJ obliviously blushed.

"Really? He always seemed like an irritable guy," Tamina replied in a surprising tone. She was not exactly a close friend of Punk's so she did not really know him too well apart from his grumpy-like demeanour backstage.

"Yeah, that's just how he seems on the outside but when you get to really know him, he really lets you in," she divulged.

"Or maybe you bring out the sweet side to him," Tamina teased as AJ's cheeks continued to redden.

"Maybe," she giggled before being alerted by a tone and vibration from her phone. She reached into the front pocket of her jeans and pulled out her phone, revealing a message from Punk.

"_Hey beautiful, meet me at catering when you're done, ok?"_ - Punk

"Is that him?" Tamina asked as AJ read out the message in her head.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," she turned her attentions back to her on-screen bodyguard, "He wants me to meet him soon."

"It's cool, you go ahead and enjoy your time with him," she replied before getting off her seat and picking up her bags.

"Thanks, see you on Saturday?"

"Definitely," Tamina responded with a smile as she made her way out of the room. AJ shifted her attention back to her phone and tapped out a reply to Punk.

"_Ok, I'll be done in 15, babe :)"_ - AJ

Not even ten seconds had passed and her phone went off again.

"_Sweet, I can't wait :D"_ - Punk

With a giant smile plastered on her face after reading his messages, AJ quickly made short work of her Chucks and headed to the showers to freshen up. Just as she was about to enter, she heard two familiar voices blaring out of the showers.

_"That sounds like Nikki and that red haired chick," _she thought for a moment before peering around the corner, making sure to not make herself seen. When she did get a sight of the room, Eva was looking at the mirror, in the middle of doing her makeup while Nikki was nowhere to be seen, most likely in the showers.

"Hey Eva, I'm glad you told me about Punk and AJ. That'll knock her down a peg or two. That flat chested bitch needs to know her place back here," Nikki said over the sound of the water splashing against the floor.

"You red haired and plastic bitches," AJ muttered under her breath, finally knowing the identity, or in this case identities, of the people who started the rumour.

"Yeah, but people don't seem to be talking about them much anymore," Eva pointed out as she applied her ever red lipstick, matching her hair colour.

"It's ok, there's lesser people now who thinks she's this innocent saint who does no wrong. Plus, just because Punk admitted they were now in a relationship doesn't mean they didn't have some sort of affair. I bet they were caught in the act during that baseball game by Amy and she dumped him for it. AJ just happens to be in the perfect place to pick up the pieces," Nikki rambled on. With every word she uttered, AJ became more and more angry. She was unknowingly pushing AJ closer and closer to the edge. She was perilously close to unleashing her pent up anger on the two 'Total Divas'.

"Yeah, that does sound likely…" Eva started before coming up with another theory, "Or maybe they really did get together after he broke things off with Lita."

"Oh please, the way they hung out and flirted with one another at work was so obvious that something was happening behind the scenes. I just feel so sorry for Amy, I should've told her what was going on," Nikki said, finally pushing AJ over the edge.

"That's it, I'm going in," she uttered to herself and was just about to confront the two girls when a voice went off in her head.

_"Wait! What are you going to do once you go in there, April? Fight them? You know that'll give them every reason to go to Vince and have you stripped of your title!"_ after hearing the voice of reason, she reluctantly went back to her locker and changed out into her casual clothes: a white blouse decorated with black skulls, light blue ripped jeans and her favourite black Chuck Taylors, topped off with a buttoned up grey trench coat. Once she was done, she swiftly headed for catering with her bag to meet Punk.

In the meantime, Punk was in the midst of checking his twitter account when he was alerted by a notification at the top of his phone's screen. After seeing the identity of the person behind the message, he groaned loudly, ignoring the message completely. In fact, for the past few days, he had been receiving text messages and phone calls from the very same person. It was beginning to really annoy him but his mood completely changed when he saw AJ walk into the room, as beautiful as ever in his eyes. He quickly put his phone away, not wanting AJ to see the messages. However, he instantly noticed something was bothering her because she seemed to be in a little of a panic.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, getting off his seat and giving her a warm hug.

"You wouldn't believe what I just heard," she mumbled into his chest, enjoying the warmth of his body at the same time.

He pulled AJ away from his chest and cupped her cheeks, "That you helped me cheat on Amy? Haven't we heard of that story before?"

"Yeah, but I found out who started it. It was Eva and Nikki!"

"Eva? The red haired chick on 'Total Divas'?" he questioned as they let go of each other's hold on the other.

"Yeah."

"So what did you do? Did you slap them? Don't tell me I missed all of this," Punk hurriedly said, a sense of excitement ringing in his voice.

AJ sighed before answering him, "No, I didn't do anything."

"Phew, I thought I missed it," he said in relief, "Next time, gimme a heads up."

"So you wanted to see your girlfriend take on two girls?" AJ questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Hell yeah! It's every guy's dream!" Punk replied in an upbeat tone but AJ did not share the same sentiment.

"So if I got hurt?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips as if she was trying to reprimand him.

"Well that would suck but I'm sure you can take them," he responded confidently, giving AJ his full backing.

"You're such a caring boyfriend," she sarcastically noted, patting his chest.

"Of course I am, you're so lucky to have me around," he grinned at her, playing along as AJ giggled in response.

"So can we go back to the bus?" she asked, looking up at him with her big brown eyes.

"Sure," he answered as he took a hold of one of her hands with his, "You said you were gonna take fifteen minutes but it was barely even five."

"That's 'cause Eva and Nikki were in the showers when they mentioned how they started this damn rumour so I avoided them by not taking a shower," she explained, drawing circles on his index finger with her thumb.

"Oh, so you're gonna use the one in the bus again?" he asked, coming off to AJ that he was not too fond of that idea.

"Yeap. What, you don't want a naked girl in your shower?" AJ teased as Punk let out a laugh.

"No, I don't mind it one bit when you put it that way. I'd prefer it if she was in the bedroom though," Punk smirked while AJ giggled, understanding what he meant.

"I think that can be arranged," she said in a low voice as she looked up to Punk with puckered lips. He immediately knew what she wanted and obliged with a peck on the lips.

"So tell me, when Brie and Bryan have a baby, the doctor will spank Brie because of how ugly the baby is?" he queried as they left the Riverside Centroplex arena and continued on their way to the bus in the parking lot.

"You watched?"

"Of course, after your pipebombshell, which I'm still waiting for a thank you for coming up with that awesome name by the way," he boasted, "I can't possibly miss another AJ Lee promo."

"So you want me... To thank you... For affiliating yourself... With my promo?" she asked slowly in parts in disbelief, emphasising to Punk how unreasonable his request was.

"Yup," he answered, merely brushing it off, "I also want some thanks for all of the times I gave you tips and pointers on cutting a promo since you've obviously improved with my help."

"I'm guessing you wanna take credit for my entire WWE career as well?"

"Well, I kinda did discover you but I'm too selfless to take all the credit," he replied snobbishly as AJ gave him a roll of her eyes. They reached the bus and as usual, Punk let AJ get on it first. After greeting Joe, they entered the living room and closed the door behind them shut.

"I'm starting to think you had ulterior motives when you first started mentoring me," she said, putting her bag down on the couch and facing him.

"Such as?"

"Trying to get into my pants, duh."

"Well it worked in the end, didn't it?" his reply was met with a firm slap on his stomach with the back of her hand while the bus began to move.

"Ow, I'm joking," he laughed before circling his arms around her while she did the same.

"Honestly, I saw great potential in you and I thought Vince would've been stupid to let you go. So I decided you needed a little nurturing to convince management that you're worth keeping and I'm glad they did 'cause now you're an amazing wrestler that I can now call my girlfriend," he divulged, his words as sincere as ever and melting AJ into a gooey mess.

"That was really, really sweet. I'm glad you were there too when I was just starting out in NXT. You helped me out a lot and I don't know what to say other than thank you," she told him, looking back and forth between his chest and his face as her bashful nature shone through.

He responded by lifting her chin up so that their eyes could meet, giving her a warm smile at the same time, "You're welcome. The world deserved to see you wrestle on the biggest stage."

"And I think you deserve this," she released her arms from his waist and grabbed a hold of one of his hands. She then led him to the back of the bus.

"Where are we going?"

"Do you really have to ask?"

Punk chuckled in reply as AJ slid open the door to the bedroom before pulling him in, "Just making sure we're both on the same page."

* * *

"Oh god, I don't think I'll ever get tired of that," AJ panted as Punk rolled off of her. They had remained glued to one another, catching their breaths after having an intense love making session which had AJ crying out Punk's name over and over again, much to his delight. The floor of the room was littered with their clothes and unlike last time, Punk actually managed to take off her coat without destroying it.

"Same here, tired from it? Yeah, but tired of it? Never," he smirked at her as she giggled shyly in response. Bringing up the bed sheets to cover up their sweat-ridden bodies from the cold, Punk brought AJ close to him. While he was fiddling and playing with her hair, she was tracing the tattoos on his chest.

"You seem to be showing off new moves every time we do this," she remarked.

"I happen to have a lot of tricks up my sleeves," he replied teasingly.

"Well keep doing what you're doing 'cause I'm loving every single one of these moves," she giggled once more before tilting his head in her direction with her hand and positioning her body on her side, facing him.

"Anything for you sweetheart," they closed the gap between their heads as their lips connected for the umpteenth time for the night. It was a slow, passionate kiss which intensified after AJ granted Punk permission to enter her mouth with his tongue. Soft moans were being swallowed by one another as Punk's free hand roamed down to her ass, squeezing and massaging it occasionally. Her moans became louder as she enjoyed him feeling her ass up until a loud ring from his phone halted their steamy make out session.

"You wanna get that?" AJ asked after breaking the kiss. Punk groaned and reluctantly got off the bed to look for his phone. After seizing his sweatpants, he pulled his phone out to reveal a missed call from the same person who had been trying to contact him for the past few days.

"Ughhhh," he turned the phone to silent mode and placed it on the cup holder beside the bed before returning to the bed and lying beside AJ again.

"It's nothing important, where were we?" AJ simply replied by pulling him into another kiss and cradling his head, making sure their lips were as close as possible to each other's. His free hand once again moved down her body while AJ smiled against his lips at the added warmth on her tush. It was looking as if they were going to go for round two when Punk's phone vibrated again, alerting him that a message had come through. It was easy enough to ignore the first message but it soon became unbearable as the messages started flowing through, vibrating and making a sound with the hollow wall the phone was leaning against. It got to a point when even AJ could not take it anymore and wanted him to end it.

"I think it's pretty urgent if the person keeps on texting and calling you," she noted after breaking the kiss again which was met with another loud groan from Punk, "Who is it?"

"You don't wanna know. Let's just go back to kissing," he moved in for a kiss but AJ quickly pulled her head away from him.

"Phil, no secrets, remember?" she reminded him, "Who is it?"

Punk ran a hand through his hair before revealing the person behind all the messages and phone calls, "It's Amy."

"Oh... What does she want?" she asked, laying her body flat on her back.

"You can read the messages for yourself," he took his phone off the cup holder and unlocked it before passing it along to AJ. While Punk propped himself on his elbow and lying on his side, facing AJ, she quickly sat up and rested her back against the headboard of the bed before reading the messages that Amy had sent him. While reading the numerous messages, a feeling of sadness and guilt came over her. Each message was filled with pain and every one was begging him to come back. In a way, she had no idea what to feel. Here she was reading off the messages that a woman she had looked up to for so long had sent to her boyfriend but yet selfishly, she did not want him to listen to her. It was just so confusing for her but one thing was for sure, she wanted Amy to be happy.

"Oh... She seems to be heartbroken about the break up and wants you back..." AJ said in a low tone, passing the phone back to Punk.

"Yeah... She even used her dog's twitter account to say she misses me," Punk informed AJ, referring to the tweet which read 'I miss my dad. Sometimes life isn't fair.'.

AJ exhaled a loud sigh, somewhat depressed by it all, "So you're not going to reply to her?"

"No... Because whatever I'll say will just make her more sad. If I cut off all communication to her, she'll finally realise that the door is shut on us," he explained, cheering AJ up a little at the thought that he was not going to go back to the Queen of Extreme.

"I'm not making the same mistake last time out where we remained friends and openly kept in touch. We ended up getting back together and truth be told, I was never as happy as before with the relationship," he added as AJ nodded along.

"I understand but I still feel bad I caused all of this. She must probably hate me, especially after finding out we're together now through the dirtsheets of all places," she admitted.

"Hey," Punk immediately took hold of her hand with his free hand before kissing her fingers, "Like I said in the past, I'm the one at fault for this mess. Stop blaming yourself, ok?"

AJ nodded reluctantly before Punk carried on talking, "Look, I can't say for certain that she hates you since she hasn't messaged me anything about you but you're probably not her best friend at the moment. In any case, if she hates anyone, it's probably me since I'm the one completely ignoring her."

"Still, I wished we could do something to comfort her," she said, rubbing circles on his fingers with her thumb as she looked down on their interlocked hands.

"I'll think of something that doesn't involve me contacting her directly. I know it might be ironic considering I'm just shutting her out of my life but I just don't want to hurt her even more. What she needs right now is time with her friends and family members, not a message or phone call from her ex or ex's girlfriend," he elaborated.

"Yeah... I guess you're right," she replied, a sense of sadness still evident in her voice.

"Hey, cheer up," Punk let go of her hand and began tickling her side, causing AJ to giggle for a moment before she pushed his hand away with both of hers, "Forget about all this drama. You have a championship match this Sunday."

"Ugh, you mean a match which was set up 6 days prior? That sounds stupendous!" AJ said in an upbeat yet sarcastic tone.

"You don't like your match?"

"I have no problems with the match itself per se, it's just the build-up which sucks. There's no real feud. I'm basically taking on the 'Total Divas' collectively but there's no storytelling, no rivalry. We should be having a story like you and Paul where each week, something pulls the audience to watch the pay-per-view match but nope, that isn't happening. And the part which really pisses me off is that there is a story to be told with their show but since they're too butt hurt to see the potential, we're just having matches and that's it. No back and forth promos except me doing most of the talking. Just in ring work," she divulged, frustration and anger stinging her words.

"Have you let everything out of your system?" Punk chuckled after admiring his girlfriend going off on the 'Total Divas'.

"I think so, I just want better for the divas you know, but they're just too stubborn to see it. They're too busy with their stupid show," she crossed her arms and blew a couple of strands of hair away from her face.

"Calm down firecracker, I hear ya and I love how passionate you are for this business. It's a reason why I took such a liking to you," he smiled at her while massaging her thigh with his hand soothingly, "I can't do much personally to change things for you but what I will say is that you just have to remain patient and eventually they will get something right and you'll have a worthwhile feud."

"I hope so, luckily I'm working with Brie. I mean, we're not buddy buddies or anything but she's definitely the better Bella to work with," she revealed.

"Bryan has trained her well. She's really improved and I'm sure you two will put on a good match," Punk confidently declared.

"Hopefully that's the case. Thinking about it, she's the only Bella I can work with right now both physically and professionally actually," she laughed dryly.

"So if you were booked to face Nikki instead?"

"It would be a UFC fight instead of a wrestling match," Punk's face immediately lighted up at the mere mention of a 'UFC fight'.

"How long is Nikki out for again?" Punk asked with a grin, rubbing her thigh up and down slowly.

"Are you that interested in watching girls fight?"

"Yes," he answered in a snap, surprising AJ with his quick fire response, "Guys love watching girls fight."

AJ sighed before running her hand through his hair repeatedly, "She said I was a flat chested bitch."

"Who? Nikki?"

"Mhmm."

"Well, you can be a little bitchy at times, especially on your period," he pointed out to which AJ immediately scoffed.

"Which girl doesn't get pissed on their period? It sucks!"

"I know, I know, I've heard it many times before. And as for being flat chested, it's kinda funny coming from a girl who got herself implants and when you compare Brie's to yours, yours is definitely bigger. But all of that doesn't matter because it still doesn't take away from your beauty. You're perfect just the way you are," he confessed before pulling her down for a kiss. When they parted, AJ was all smiles and giggles.

"Just for that," AJ straddled Punk's hips before pecking him on the lips, "You're getting another ride from me."

"Wow, someone sure is full of energy tonight," he commented as he placed his hands on her hips.

"I didn't wrestle tonight, remember?" she reminded him with a giggle before taking his hands and guiding them onto her breasts. Punk instantly knew what she wanted him to do and duly obliged by feeling her up. At the same time, she closed her eyes, enjoying him massaging her breasts and every now and then squeezing her nipples while she grinded her hips against his manhood.

"I don't care what people say, I love your boobs," Punk notified her as he started to get hard again.

"And I love… What you're doing to them," she replied, her eyes still shut as she bit her lip and rolled her head back in pleasure. Punk could feel a little wetness smear against his stomach as her body continued to move against his.

"Hm, actually, they do seem a little on the small side," he playfully joked with her while examining the size of her bosom. She instantly took offence and slammed her body onto his dick.

"Ow! I'm kidding," he laughed, squirming under her in pain.

"Just shut up and enjoy this," AJ said in a demanding tone as she reached back for his hardened member and lifted her hips.

* * *

_**2 October 2013**_

Punk and AJ arrived back at their respective homes in the afternoon after getting on their respective flights in the morning. As usual, they had a heartfelt goodbye but for the sake of their relationship, it was good to have a little separation once in a while. After a little over two hours of air time, one which Punk utterly detested due to the lack of comfort for his back, he stepped off the plane onto the ground which he was all too familiar with. As always, he took the 'L' home, acknowledging one or two fans in the train who managed to recognise him from under his hood.

When he arrived at the doorstep of his lavish house, he threw his sling back onto the couch and rested his luggage against the kitchen counter, too lazy to open it up and unpack his things for the moment. Instead, he plopped himself onto the other couch and turned on the heater and TV. Luckily for him, the Blackhawks' game from the day before was on so he rested his head on one of the many pillows while crossing his legs at the ankle, getting himself comfy as he watched his favourite hockey team. His relaxation time was short-lived though as his attention was swayed away from the large TV to the door of his house when the doorbell blared through the vast room. Groaning, he hesitantly pushed himself off the couch and walked over to the door. On his way there, the doorbell rung two more times, signalling the eagerness of the person at the door. Whoever it was was very eager to see him...

"Ugh, it's you," or was just his best friend who loved to annoy him in any way.

"Thanks for the warm welcome, buddy," the man known to many as Colt Cabana replied with a grin.

"Anytime," Punk entered the kitchen and turned on his coffee maker. With Colt now here, coffee was an absolute necessity to get him through the day.

"Whatcha' doing?" Colt asked as he took his jacket off and draped it over the backrest of one of the stools adjacent to the kitchen counter.

"Just watching a re-run of yesterday's Hawks' game and don't you dare spoil it for me," he said as he placed two mugs under the dispensers of the coffee maker. He did not bother to ask Colt if he wanted coffee because he knew he wanted one. He always wanted a drink whenever he would show up at his house, no matter the type of drink.

"You haven't watched it yet?" he asked, looking over to the big screen TV which was showcasing the game.

"Obviously, why would I be watching it right now?" he rhetorically questioned while he leaned against the counter, waiting for the coffee maker to be done.

"But you said you were having Tuesdays off so how did you miss the game? Did you miss your flight or something?"

"I was-"

"Or were you with someone?" Colt quickly interjected, a smirk breaking out on his face. It was apparent to Punk that Colt was aware on why he missed the game which took place in Chicago.

"Seems like you already know the answer."

"CM Punk and AJ Lee together at a baseball game grabs attention, no?"

"Not to me and I don't get why so many people care if we're together or not. Every day I'm having to block people on twitter who post insensitive shit about me and her," he revealed, expressing his displeasure of social media focusing on his personal life.

"It's 'cause it's two of the biggest names in WWE being romantically involved outside of the ring. You are seeing her, right?" Colt asked for confirmation.

"Yes, you busybody," Punk answered, moving himself to the end of the counter so that he could still have an eye on the TV while chatting to Colt.

"Actually, I didn't really know about you two until Natalie told me," the news surprised Punk. Natalie was not one to pay attention to wrestling rumours and news.

"Natalie? Since when did she read dirtsheets?"

"She didn't need to read dirtsheets to know about you two because people on twitter were sending her the picture, asking her if AJ was your new girlfriend," Colt notified him before moving behind the counter to join Punk who was busy watching the game, "Amy confided in her after seeing the picture."

Immediately, Punk's attention shifted back to his best friend at the mention of Amy, "Fuck, is Nat mad at me too?"

"Nah," he shrugged, "She said that you're a grown man who shouldn't be judged on the choices you make in your life but Amy really misses you."

"I know..." he ran a hand through his hair before looking over to the TV again, "She's sent me a lot of messages but I've chosen to ignore them all."

"I get it," Colt leaned against the counter with his propped up elbows, "You already closed the book and you don't want to reopen it anymore."

"Yeah, she deserves to be with someone who truly loves her and if I even reply to one of those messages, she'll just ask more questions and that won't help her to move on from me," he divulged, looking back and forth between Colt and the TV.

"Natalie is helping her through it though."

"Good, I'm glad their friendship hasn't ended over me and I'm also glad someone's there to comfort her," Punk said, breathing out a sigh of relief that Amy was not completely alone while dealing with their break up.

"Oh yeah, Nat had another message for you though," Colt straightened his body.

"What?" Punk asked as he faced his long-time friend. Out of nowhere, Colt's leg swiftly lifted off the ground and raised up in between Punk's legs. Punk had no time to react before Colt made contact with his crotch, causing Punk to writhe down on the ground in excruciating pain.

"Ahhhhhhhhh! Fuck! Holy fuck!" Punk wailed, clutching his balls with his hands as his breathing picked up, "What the hell was that for?!"

"It was actually a message from Amy. Natalie promised to pass it along to you," Colt informed him but to Punk, he could have sworn he heard Colt chuckle as he delivered the news.

"Fuck! Fucking hell!" his face was as red as a tomato and his breathing was increasingly hurried. Every now and then, he would puff out his cheeks, trying to compose himself and recover from the pain.

"You ok buddy?"

"Don't you ok buddy me?!" he shot back, his face depicting nothing but anger, "What do you think I'm feeling after having you come into my house uninvited and kicking me right in the balls?!"

"I'll get the ice," Colt chuckled, going over to the fridge.

"God fucking dammit!" he cried out, "You couldn't have kicked any harder, could you?"

"I'm sorry," he apologised, though to Punk it felt insincere, " I was told to kick as hard as possible."

"Here," Colt handed him an ice pack which Punk rather forcefully snatched out of his hands before placing it onto his injured groin.

"Ohhhhhhh," Punk voiced out as the cooling sensation spread onto his pained crotch.

"For kicking me in the balls, carry me back to the couch," he instructed after getting a little feeling back into his balls.

"What?!"

"You heard me, Cabana. Carry me, asshole," he crudely demanded.

"Fine, still the same old grumpy ass," he remarked as he picked up Punk bridal style, "What do Amy and AJ see in you?"

"If I wasn't scared of falling on my ass, I would totally sock you in the face right now," he threatened as Colt carried him around the counter and towards the couch in the living room.

"Actually this is quite romantic," he said with a wide grin as they neared the couch, "I always envisioned this is what we would look like if we ever got married. AJ would totally be jealous of us."

"Let… Go..." Punk ordered him in a slow yet menacing voice after they reached the beige furniture.

"Sure," Colt released him onto the couch instead of lowering him down onto it. Fortunately for Punk, the cushioned softness of the pillows and the base of the sofa that was very giving broke his fall.

"Argh, nice landing."

"Thanks," Colt happily replied while taking a seat on the sofa across the one Punk was lying down against.

"Fuck," Punk still held the ice pack against his groin, not yet fully recovering from the impact Colt's leg made with it, "Even though it was fucking painful, I totally deserved that."

"For someone who misses you, Amy has a weird way of telling you that," Colt chuckled as he watched on at his pained friend who was now adjusting the pillows so that his head was propped up by them.

"For what I did to her, it's the appropriate response."

"You didn't cheat on her, did you?"

Punk sighed before turning his head to face Colt, "I'll fill you in on all the details."

For the next five minutes, Punk rambled on about the story of how he and AJ got together, mentioning the mistake on his part for kissing AJ while he was still with Amy (which Colt jokingly and aptly nicknamed as a 'kiss-take'), how his feelings began to manifest for AJ to the point that he could not get her out of his head and also how long he took before finally breaking the news to Amy that he no longer was in love with her. After all was said and done, Colt was left a little stunned at how dramatic his love life turned out to be.

"Whoa, so you basically strung her along for months even though you were in love with AJ?" he questioned, trying to get confirmation from Punk that that had indeed happened.

"Uhhh, yeah," he answered, scratching his head nervously.

"Are you stupid?"

"At the time, yeah. You could even call me a coward."

"Man, no wonder she's pissed off. It must've been such an emotional rollercoaster for her," Colt noted as Punk regretfully nodded.

"Yeah."

"That was such a horrible thing to do," Colt added.

"Yeah."

"You wasted months of her life, dude."

"If the other message Natalie passed to you was to belittle me and make me feel bad, tell her mission accomplished," Punk shot back, turning his head away to face the TV.

"I'm sorry, it's just things could've been handled so much better," Colt told him, alluding to the fact that he should have acted sooner to avoid having the mess he had now on his hands.

"Yeah, I know..." he replied lowly, choosing not to look at Colt.

"So have AJ and Amy talked since?"

"Nah, as far as I know," Punk answered. Each interrogating question just made Punk more and more depressed. At the rate Colt was going, he would soon find himself outside his front door looking in.

"If I remember correctly, doesn't AJ look up to Amy a lot? Like didn't she meet her as a kid or something?"

"Yeah, she did..."

"Damn, you just made things between them soooooo awkward," he commented, lengthening his 'so' for added effect, "Tell me again what both of them see in you because I personally don't see it."

"You're just jealous that you're single and not getting any," Punk hissed, a little fed up with what Colt was saying.

"Yeah, I am," he admitted, "C'mon dude, spill. What do you do to get such hot girls?"

Punk quickly turned his head towards Colt and glared at him with an iron stare, "First of all, don't you ever call April hot again-"

"April?" Colt was left dumbfounded by the name that had escaped Punk's lips.

"That's what the 'A' in 'AJ' stands for, genius."

"April," Colt repeated, "Awww, that's such a beautiful name."

"Cabana," Punk said in a warning tone, feeling uncomfortable by his friend's comments about his girlfriend.

"Sorry, go on."

"I don't really have any advice for you because you don't have a natural charm like myself," Punk shot him a smug grin, "So all I can say is just be yourself and be honest because girls like that about guys. They like guys who are upfront and real with them."

"But you weren't honest with Amy," he quickly countered.

"Hence why she hates me now."

"But damn, how the hell did you manage to bag AJ? She's smoking hot," Colt crassly pointed out, making Punk feel increasingly uncomfortable.

"Scott."

"Just like Amy, she's way out of your league," he chuckled.

"Scott."

"I knew you weren't naive enough to just invite her to a baseball game if you weren't going to be banging her at the end of the day."

"Scott!" Punk shouted, wanting Colt to stop the rude comments about AJ.

"What? It's true, isn't it?"

Oblivious to Punk, a light shade of pink appeared on his cheeks because Colt was indeed right. They did in fact have sex the moment they stepped into the house after coming back from the game, "Well, I mean, yeah, but-"

"I bet you brought her up to the bedroom with the curly bedposts," Colt cut him off once more but Punk merely smirked in reply.

"We barely made it past the kitchen," he informed Colt whose eyes expanded in surprise.

"Huh? You had kitchen sex?" Punk's smirk never wavered and in fact became larger as his eyebrows were raised suggestively.

"I didn't know she was that kinky," Colt said, still in surprise. He did not know AJ personally or even met her before so he had always had the impression she was a modest girl.

"I was surprised too since it was her idea but she really is a great girl," Punk told him.

"The sex is that good, huh?"

"It is but that's not the point. There's just something about her that feels... Different," he struggled for a moment, trying to find the right word to describe AJ.

"Well, she is a geek goddess so that instantly turns you on," Colt laughed as did Punk.

"I do like that about her since I can just be my nerdy self around her and not have to hide it. I also like that she's so passionate about wrestling but it's her all round personality which intrigues me the most. Basically, she's different from all my past girlfriends. She's…" he struggled once more but this time he found the perfect word to describe her, "Special."

"Sounds like someone's in love," Colt teased, trying to embarrass Punk.

"Heh, I am. I really hope I don't screw this one up 'cause she might be the one," he revealed as Colt laughed in reply. However, he quickly noticed Punk's stoned, serious face and realised he was not kidding.

"Wait, you're serious?"

"Yeah, but I think I gotta slow down before I get too far ahead of myself. We've only been together a couple of weeks but I am heading to her place next week though," he revealed as a small smile etched onto his face. Deep down, he was eagerly anticipating visiting her house.

"Because that screams slowing down, right?" Colt chuckled though he was happy that his best friend was so content with a girl that he was even considering the thought of marriage. He hoped that it would not go down the same route as all his past relationships.

"She invited me, plus I wanna see the place that houses this beauty."

Colt instantly groaned after hearing him say that, "Uhhhhh, that was so sappy. Do you use those lines on her?"

"Mayyyyyyybe," he dragged out.

"Man, wait until Cliff hears that you and AJ are an item. He's gonna be so devastated," Colt laughed as Punk chuckled along.

"He's a grown man, he'll live."

They proceeded to catch up on other things that have gone on in each other's lives while watching the game which was especially hard for Punk as Colt continuously teased a goal was about to happen throughout the game. When the game was finished, Colt finished off his coffee before deciding it was time to make his exit.

"Well I gotta go, thanks for inviting me," he said as he got up off the sofa.

"I didn't invite you," Punk hit back, getting off the sofa as well and showing Colt out the door.

"Yeah, yeah, in case you do your usual thing and screw things up with April, give her my number will ya?" he requested with a large grin, putting on his jacket.

"Sure, in fact, April has a gift for you," Punk responded calmly for once.

"Really?" Colt asked in shock, "She hasn't even met me yet."

"Well, I told her great things about you and she thought this gift was a way to say hello to a new friend," he explained.

"Cool, I can't wait to meet her. Now where's my gift?" he impatiently and giddily demanded.

"Close your eyes," he instructed to which Colt happily obeyed.

"Ok, wow Phil, I think this is my favourite girlfriend of yours. No wonder you think she's the one-"

Colt was quickly cut off when Punk returned the favour and kicked him in the groin as hard as possible as well, "Owwwwww! Fuck! For the love of god!"

"That's for kicking me and for saying inappropriate shit about _my_ girlfriend!" he volleyed at Colt, emphasising on the 'my' as Colt rolled around on the ground in pain, grasping at his balls.

"Mother of god! Ice pack! Ice pack!" Colt begged as Punk chuckled and walked over to the fridge.

"By the way, you're right now in the exact spot me and April had sex," he snickered, tossing the ice pack to Colt.

"What!" Colt screeched as he quickly placed the ice pack onto his crotch, "Oh for fuck's sake! I need a cold shower too!"

* * *

"I'm home!" AJ made her presence known as she opened up the front door to her house. Within seconds, a small blonde Chihuahua skittered across the floor towards her, barking in happiness.

"Nacho!" AJ cried out as she crouched down to tend to her beloved pet. Nuzzling her nose against Nacho's after picking him up to her face, she looked away from him when her name was called out.

"April!"

"Erica! How are you?" she placed her dog back down on the floor and popped back up to give her sister a warm, endearing hug.

"I'm fine, it's been like forever since we last saw each other," Erica said after they let go of their embrace.

"It's only been a couple of weeks," she giggled as she watched Nacho run away to lie on the couch.

"That's still too long to not see my baby sister. Everything good?" Erica asked as AJ pulled her luggage into the living room.

"Yeah, why would you ask that?"

"I don't know, you haven't been honest with me," Erica accused, catching AJ by surprise.

"Huh? I've always been honest with you," she replied dumbfounded as Erica whipped out her phone.

"Not about this," she quickly showed AJ a picture of her and Punk at the baseball game on her phone.

"Oh... That..." AJ immediately giggled like a school girl and blushed, "How did you find out?"

"Jenny saw it on twitter and passed along the picture to me. Is he your new boyfriend?" Erica queried with a smile on her face. AJ responded by nodding her head with a smile breaking out onto her face as well.

Erica swiftly hugged her sister tight, "Oh my god, my baby sister finally has a boyfriend."

"Why do you sound so surprised?" AJ questioned with a small laugh before Erica finally released her hold on her.

"Ever since your last boyfriend, you've sworn off guys, even that good looking blonde haired dude you were kissing every week," she told AJ who merely rolled her eyes after she mentioned Dolph. When she was paired up with Dolph in storyline, Erica kept pushing her to pursue a relationship with him even though she did not feel that way about him. Furthermore, as Erica had mentioned, AJ was swearing off dating ever since her relationship with Trent.

"Well I was until this guy came along and-"

"Oh, wait, wait," Erica cut AJ off and led her to the couch where Nacho was resting, "Let's sit on the couch and you tell me about this new man in your life."

"Erica..." AJ whined as Erica pulled her down onto the couch.

"C'mon April, I wanna get to know him-" she said before being interrupted by the barking of Nacho who was lying in between them, "See, even Nacho wants to hear about this man."

"Do you really want to, boy?" AJ asked Nacho who replied with a cute little bark and jumped onto her lap.

"Ok, ok," AJ giggled as she petted him.

"Well, his name is Phil but everyone else knows him by CM Punk-" she started, stroking her pet to a comfortable nap at the same time.

"Wait, CM Punk? Isn't he that guy..." Erica snapped her fingers, trying to recall where she knew that name, "That guy you kissed during that love triangle story you had?"

"Yeah."

"Ohhhhhh, now I remember him. I didn't recognise him with his hood up. He was the one who approached you when you were still in NXT right?"

"Yup, the one that gave me the great advice," she replied, recalling the time her and Punk first met.

"Oh, now everything's coming back to me. This was the guy you had a mini crush on after the romantic story you had with him," she smirked at AJ who quickly scoffed at her accusation.

"Uhhh, no I didn't," AJ denied.

"Uhhh, yeah you did. I clearly remember you going 'Erica, Erica, he's such an amazing kisser, our tongues even touched! I got so lost in the kiss that I almost forgot to pull away! I swear, if the cameras and people weren't there, I would've ripped his clothes off right there and then!'" Erica reminded AJ, using a high pitched voice when mimicking her words.

"Ok, I don't remember saying that," she denied, holding a hand up at Erica while hoping to God that she was not blushing.

"Ok, maybe it wasn't word for word but it was along the lines of that. I remember how you had dreamy eyes for him for like a month or two and you wouldn't shut up about him," she reminded AJ.

"Fine... Maybe... I had a little girl crush on him," AJ drawled out as she scratched Nacho's back nervously, "But he had a crush on me too."

"Really? Or are you just making this up?"

"No, I'm serious," she firmly told Erica, "He said he had been harbouring feelings for me ever since the day we met when he confessed his love to me."

"He made the first move? Not you?" she asked in bewilderment.

"Yeah, is that so hard to believe?"

"Kinda, I always thought you would've made the first move seeing as how head over heels you were for him after just kissing him," Erica remarked.

"I was not head over heels for him!" AJ vehemently denied as she lifted Nacho off her lap and laid him down on the soft couch.

"Sure you weren't, honey."

"Whatever," she simply voiced before pushing herself off the sofa and heading to her bedroom, "I'll go change first."

"I'll just be here google imaging him for a bit," Erica replied as AJ took off her skull-emblazoned sweater, revealing a custom-torn Marvel Comics T-shirt and also changed out of her jeans into her usual boxer shorts after entering her room.

"What, you wanna find out if he has some scandalous pics?" she shouted from her bedroom as she closed the doors of her closet, "Because if you are, I'll save you the trouble and tell you he has none."

"Nah, I just wanna see what he looks like in the ring… And maybe even out of it," Erica answered while AJ moved to the full-length mirror beside her closet to tie her hair up into a ponytail.

"Hey, where's Pamela?" AJ asked, referring to her other pet Chihuahua. She had not seen her since coming home moments ago.

"Oh, she's in my room sleeping so don't make so much noise."

"Ok, jeez…" AJ lowered her voice even more so Erica could not hear, "Bossy much?"

"Holy crap! April!" Erica exclaimed, immediately causing AJ to rush out from her room.

"What?! What's wrong?! You just said to keep it down!" AJ reminded Erica who was looking back and forth between her phone and AJ.

"Are you sure your boyfriend is CM Punk?"

"Yeah, why? Does he have scandalous pics?!"

"No, he's gorgeous!" at that instant, AJ dropped her shoulders. All this while she had thought Punk was involved in some scandal in the past only to be told that he was rather easy on the eye, "Is he really your boyfriend?"

"Yes!" AJ answered adamantly as she placed her hands on her hips in annoyance, "God, is it so hard to believe that?"

"Kinda, it's scandalous in itself for you to have someone like him as your boyfriend," Erica told her, not once looking up at AJ as she continued to scroll through and admire pictures of Punk.

"Erica! Stop drooling over my boyfriend!"

"I'm sorry, I can't help it. He's so good looking, that beard, those tats, that body. Mmm, I could go straight for him," she admitted, biting her lip as she marvelled at Punk's good looks. It was true though, Erica had come out to her family as gay but somehow, Punk had managed to captivate her that much that she was calling into question her sexuality once again.

"Erica!" AJ shouted, yanking the phone away from Erica's grasp.

"My phone!"

"You're not getting it back if you're just gonna drool all over him," AJ warned as Nacho awoke from his short slumber to hear the sisters bicker among each other.

"I was just admiring him, that's all," she defended, scratching the back of Nacho's ear after noticing he had woken up.

"Whatever, that's _my_ boyfriend you're looking at," AJ staunchly replied, marking her territory.

"Possessive much?"

"Damn right I am, I can't believe I have to fend off my own sister from him," she said, closing the page full of Punk's pictures on Erica's phone.

"C'mon, there's no need to be insecure. Think of it as me praising you for getting a man like that," Erica said as Nacho leaped off the couch and scampered towards AJ.

"Well that's a weird way of praising me and just for your info, I am not insecure about him," AJ sat cross-legged on the floor before scratching Nacho's neck, "He loves me."

"Hold up, he already said that?"

"Yeah, he said he was in love with me before we started dating," AJ informed her, much to Erica's surprise.

"Whoa, so do you feel the same way?"

"Of course," AJ swiftly answered.

"So you've said 'I love you' to him?" Erica queried, immediately noticing AJ's hesitancy.

"Uhhh… Actually... No," she answered, tending to her pet instead of making eye contact with her sister.

"Why not?"

"Well he hasn't said it yet so I'm waiting for him to do it."

"You've got to be kidding me," Erica said as a reaction to AJ's weak excuse in her eyes, "No wonder all your past relationships bombed."

"I've only had two relationships before Phil," she defended, looking up at Erica.

"Yeah and both of them left you 'cause you weren't showering them with enough love," Erica pointed out while AJ groaned in response, "I love you with all my heart and I mean this in the nicest possible way but you can be so clueless when it comes to love."

AJ promptly scoffed at her allegation, "Would a clueless girl make love to him the very moment he professed his love to her?"

"What?!" she reacted in shock, "You had sex with him the first night you two got together?"

"Mhmm," she hummed, smirking at her sister.

"Was it good?" Erica curiously asked.

"Must you know?"

"Well, I am your sister. Apart from your best friends, who else can you tell?"

"Ok... It was… Amazing, like the best I've ever had," AJ divulged, stroking the back of Nacho at the same time while recalling her first intimate moment with Punk.

"Well it was until last week when we did it against a wall," she shyly added, giggling to herself.

"No way, I didn't know you were that dirty," Erica teased, raising her eyebrows up and down at her.

"I didn't too but he brings it out of me," she admitted.

"So is it big?" AJ softly giggled before biting her bottom lip sheepishly and bobbing her head as a light blush came onto her cheeks.

"Is it too big for your mouth?" Erica crudely asked with a grin.

"Erica! That's it! Conversation over," AJ declared, cradling Nacho and popping back onto her feet before placing Erica's phone down on the kitchen counter and heading for her room.

"What? I'm just kidding," she giggled to herself, "Come back."

"No! It got way too weird," she hollered from her room as she lowered Nacho onto her bed.

"So you haven't tried it?"

"Not answering that," she sang the words, trying to blank out Erica's voice.

"Jeez, you sure do love keeping secrets from me," she noted loudly as she walked over to the kitchen counter to collect her phone. It was also the place where the baseball Punk had given to AJ was enclosed in an acrylic display case.

"Can you blame me when you ask these questions?" AJ rhetorically questioned as she continued playing with her beloved Chihuahua.

"So did he buy you a ball?"

"If that's a joke about how I should grow a pair then you should-"

"No, I'm talking about this baseball you have in a case," she clarified while AJ left the room to tend to her sister.

"Oh, that, he caught it while we were at the game and gave it to me. It was actually the reason why the cameras caught us being at the game," she revealed, rubbing the case with her thumb as she admired the ball.

"Awww, that's so sweet that he caught it for you," Erica remarked while intertwining her fingers together and bringing her hands close to her chest.

"I know right?"

"So is he the usual sports buff like most guys?"

"Yeah, but he's also into stuff like comics and video games and-"

"He's a nerd?" Erica spoke up in surprise, halting AJ.

"Yeah, I thought I told you this before?"

"No you haven't. No wonder you like him, someone is finally able to tolerate your geeky-ness," she said, poking AJ on her bicep.

"Shut up, as I was saying, he's also into 'The Walking Dead' and 'Breaking Bad' and he's also a massive wrestling fan."

"Ok, any man who likes 'Breaking Bad' is instantly good in my book," Erica revealed.

"Thanks for your approval, mom," AJ sarcastically replied, going over to the water jug in the kitchen to get herself a glass of water.

"Speaking of mom, you should tell her about him," she suggested, joining AJ in the kitchen.

"Do you think she'd care?" AJ asked as she poured the contents of the jug into the glass cup, "I don't wanna bother her."

"Hmmm, a man is seeing her beloved daughter. I wonder if she cares..." Erica wondered playfully as she tapped her chin with her index finger.

"Ok, ok, you don't have to be sarcastic with me. I'll call her later after I text Phil 'I love you'," AJ told her before taking in a mouthful of water.

"No!"

"Huh?" she quickly gulped down the water, "I should call him instead?"

"Sweet lord you're hopeless. It's the first time you're gonna be saying 'I love you' and you wanna do it over the phone?!" she rhetorically asked in a loud tone, almost scolding in fact.

"So I should do it on the computer through twitter?" she suggested with a light laugh.

"You're so clueless that I'm not sure if you're joking or not."

"I am joking…" AJ clarified, squinting her eyes at Erica, "So in person?"

"Yes in person, lover girl," Erica confirmed, shaking AJ by her shoulders, "But it's gotta be at the right time. You can't just say it outright the moment you two meet again."

"Ok, thanks for the advice, sis," AJ gratefully acknowledged her sister's help before finishing her drink.

"Anytime, April. I just don't want to see you throw away another relationship," she told AJ, having her best interests at heart.

"You just wanna meet him, don't you?" AJ slyly smiled while raising her index finger at Erica.

"Of course I want to! You should invite him over some time," she suggested, feeling giddy just thinking about Punk again.

"I already did, he's coming over next week," AJ revealed which was music to Erica's ears.

"Oh god, I gotta pick an outfit to wear," Erica quickly left the kitchen for her room.

"Don't you dare hit on him Erica 'cause I will legit bitch fight you for him," AJ cautioned as she watched Erica shuffle her feet into her room.

"Relax, I just wanna look good for him," she giggled before closing her bedroom door.

"Erica!"

* * *

AJ had been tossing and turning in her bed, unable to fall asleep. Looking over to her side, she saw Nacho wrapped up in his own little blanket, snoring away in deep slumber and here she was resting her back against the headboard of her bed while reading one of her Batman comics to try to fall asleep. She had been reading for a while but she was nowhere close to feeling sleepy. There was just something missing and she knew what it was, or rather who it was. She was missing having Punk's warm, cuddly body by her side in bed. Nacho was great to have around but he did not compare to Punk when it comes to a cuddling buddy. Sighing, she reached over for her phone on the bedside table to check the time.

"_2.43am… It's been three hours and I'm still wide awake… I miss my Punkybear… Maybe I should text him, he's usually still awake at this time… I think… Nah, I don't wanna sound too needy… I'll just-" _AJ's thoughts immediately halted when the phone in her hand vibrated and out popped a message from none other than Punk himself.

_"Are you still awake?" _- Punk

"_It was as if he had read my mind," _AJ thought to herself before unlocking her phone and typing out a reply.

_"Yup, you can't sleep either, huh?" _- AJ

_"The usual." _- Punk

_"I'm on your mind that much, huh?" _- AJ

_"You betcha'. You won't believe what happened today between me and Colt."_ - Punk

_"And you won't believe what happened today between me and Erica." _- AJ

_"Ladies first." _- Punk

_"Ok, go on Punkybear." _- AJ

_"Hahaha very funny. So Colt came to my house uninvited and kicked me right in the balls." _- Punk

_"What?! He did that to my baby?!" _- AJ

_"Yeah, he did :(" _- Punk

_"That's it, I'm kicking him in the balls when I meet him." _- AJ

_"You don't have to, I already did that." _- Punk

_"Good, was he screaming in pain?" _- AJ

_"Yup, but to be honest, I deserved that kick. It was actually from Amy." _- Punk

_"Oh, I guess she's still a badass chick. You still haven't talked to her, huh?" _- AJ

_"Nope, but don't you worry. She has good people around her to get her through this." _- Punk

_"Good, that's great to know. So how's your balls? Do they still work? 'Cause if they can't, I may have to rethink this relationship." _- AJ

AJ giggled to herself after reading the message she had just sent as she rested her body on its side on the bed, resuming to text Punk in this new lying down position.

_"They're working fine, just a little sore. Thanks for caring." _- Punk

_"Lol I can't tell if that was sincere or sarcastic." _- AJ

_"You can take it however you want it to be. So what's the haps with you and your sister?" _- Punk

_"The haps? Lol." _- AJ

_"I'm trying to be cool and hip like the kids nowadays." _- Punk

_"Haha so my sister found out about us and was being nosy about it." _- AJ

_"What did she want to know?" _- Punk

_"The usual stuff, 'who is he?', 'what's he like?', 'what's his interests?' and some other inappropriate things I can't share with you." _- AJ

_"Lol speaking of inappropriate, Colt thinks you're hot." _- Punk

_"Really? Tell him thank you but I'm taken ;)" _- AJ

_"I did, well I kinda did when I kicked him lol." _- Punk

_"You're so good with your words lol. Erica actually did the same thing, she couldn't stop going on about your looks." _- AJ

_"Oh really? So ummm, do you happen to have a picture of your sister?" _- Punk

_"Phil! If I could hit you, I totally would right now." _- AJ

_"Lol I'm kidding. Anyways, didn't you say your sister was gay?" _- Punk

_"She is but she said, and I quote, 'I could go straight for him'." _- AJ

_"Hahahaha I'm looking forward to meeting her." _- Punk

_"Phil..." _- AJ

_"Don't worry, I only have eyes for one Mendez girl." _- Punk

_"So sweet, I wish I could go over there and give you a kiss." _- AJ

_"Your mom does live with you right?" _- Punk

_"Phil! That's not funny! :(" _- AJ

Punk laughed seeing her response. They continued to joke around and tell each other about their day, replying to one another's text messages within seconds of receiving them as they texted throughout the night. That, however, soon ended when AJ took a relatively long time to reply.

"_April?" _- Punk

"_April, you there?" _- Punk

It was at that point that he knew AJ had fallen asleep and he was glad that he could comfort her to sleep even though he was hundreds of miles away from her.

"_Goodnight sweetie :)" _- Punk

* * *

**~Review~**


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